Take My Hand
by MakKeiUra
Summary: The Doctor, The Daleks, the Kendoka, and Her Kanrinin.
1. Chapter 1 - Take My Hand

"Take My Hand"

A Love Hina/Doctor Who crossover story.

By MakKeiUra

Send all comments, critiques, and other assorted nonsense to:

makkeiura

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Love Hina, Ken Akamatsu does, nor do I own Doctor Who. The BBC and its various units and writers own the good Doctor. No profit or other monies are being made from this work.

NOTES: For Love Hina, this story takes place in an alternate universe/future to the anime-only continuity. For Doctor Who, this takes place in whatever comes next for the 12th Doctor after "The Husbands of River Song" but before the next canon adventure… which the BBC tells us will be another Steven Moffat penned Christmas special. On the part of Love Hina, as I was always too damned poor to acquire the manga, any extras you see in this story that don't quite jive with the anime are freely absorbed from almost fifteen years of reading Love Hina fan fiction. Things diverge from canon after TV episode 25. While I do acknowledge that, obviously, this story will alter a lot of the background purposes of what drives the main characters in Love Hina, I suspect that this is what you are here for.

REVISION C: Restructuring/expansion of first two chapters.

000

"Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are." - Malcolm Forbes.

Father had called for them.

This in and of itself was not unusual. It happened often enough for the select few charged with his care and immediate protection. But this time was different. This time it was for almost everyone on the ship.

Father had been recovering for a long time, allowing his wounds to heal since the escape from what had been-and will be again-home. The calamity unleashed by the beings known-and cursed-as the Doctor and the Mistress had been a setback, yes, but backup protocols had already gone into effect to further sanitize the surface of their home world from the unfocused rage of those that had come before. It would only be a matter of time before they could return. Indeed, the last report said that it would only likely be a scant few cycles. Once they returned home, then everything would return to normal. This had already been reviewed and trained for. All was ready.

If that is the case, then why had Father called them?

Once everyone had arrived in the circular room. One stood forward as Father sat in his chair.

[ALL HAVE BEEN CALLED HERE! ALL HAVE ARRIVED!]

Father advanced forward. With effort, he spoke, quiet at first but steadily gaining volume and power. "My children… our home will soon be ready for us again."

[ALL HAIL THE SUPREME ONE!]

Father's lips moved, at first soundlessly again, then louder: "But… we must prepare ourselves first. We were almost defeated… we must… *strengthen* ourselves against any and all threats from outside and from within… in life or in death!"

Those who had assembled swivelled back and forth. What could he mean, exactly?

A smile from Father. "Rest assured, a solution has been found. A source of power… regenerative… destructive power… beyond anything we have ever experienced is just waiting for us!" He cackled.

Silence. Father would reveal what needed to be revealed. Indeed, it is an honor even to hear this much from him.

"Remain at the ready." Father said. "I have already sent for this energy source to be tested and collected. We should received news of victory shortly. I have called you all here in case extra assistance is required."

[VICTORY! VICTORY! VICTORY!]

Father's cracked lips curled into a slow smile.

000

He sipped tea slowly with one hand as his other hand held chalk. Chalk that he worked across the blackboard, scrawling equations and diagrams. What was he working on? Oh yes, altering the gravitation constant of the universe so he could better observe the various subtleties of the time-stream. How long had he been at this? He knew the TARDIS could tell him, but it mattered not. He would work as long as there was tea in the kettle. And since he had fixed the tea kettle to materialize hot tea continuously, it would be a long time to come.

The Doctor knew, intellectually, that this was probably not the best way to deal with sorrow and boredom, but he also knew that if he stopped his calculations for one moment he'd suddenly look over his shoulder, half-expecting to see River or somebody else whose face he could not quite recall. He mentally berated himself. He had composed a song for her, dammit, why could he not recall much more than impressions or half-familiar words? He's dealt with death and the leaving of companions for thousands of years, why was this time any different?

The chalk in his hands wrote a theorem, one that he knew briefly explained an underlying concept that was at work in The Library, where the Vashta Nerada lurked, and Professor River Song would die.

"Dammit!" the Doctor growled, as he sipped some more tea. Another diagram, a math problem, a picture of a puppy and a frankly vulgar saying he once heard uttered by Donna Noble after indulging in too much wine found their way on the chalkboard. The TARDIS sensed he was nearing the end of one blackboard, and produced another one. The Doctor started on the fresh one after refilling his tea.

It was after the fourth blackboard had been half-filled that the Doctor noticed what had been bothering him (besides everything else) since this morning (for him). Every time he worked out, with the TARDIS' assistance, the regular interval of the multi-verse energy renewal within the time vortex, there was a slight discrepancy. An occasional imperfection was not common, but it was hardly completely unheard of to a Time Lord. But this one was regularly occurring, if very subtly.

"Yes, I see it now." The Doctor said, responding to the TARDIS' concern. "Looks like someone is prying open a crack in the time-vortex."

He now turned away from the various black-boards. Now at the TARDIS' console, he looked from one overhead monitor to another, then made several adjustments to the controls. The Doctor looked at these monitors for an indeterminable amount of time, then frowned.

"So that's what that little *boy* has been up to." He looked closer. "Interesting Earth in that universe, too… lots of kiss-kiss, slap-slap, though. But such resilience! Very well then, let us see what has piqued his interest."

More time passed, soon the Doctor's curious frown had turned into anger. "If he thinks I would have not noticed this, he has another thing coming."

Now the Doctor's hands flew back to the controls, making more adjustments, then he spun over to a new, freshly provided blackboard, and began working out more calculations.

"Prepare for a cross-dimensional communication stream… a holographic projection should do it!" He shouted to the TARDIS, which complied.

000

Sunday April 5th, 2009

Hinata City, Kanagawa Prefecture

Keitaro Urashima, 29 year old manager of the Hinata Inn fumbled briefly with the keys as he found the desired tarnished Yale key, then firmly inserted it into the old lock and turned. Once he opened the lock, he returned the key ring to his tool belt with a jingle and balanced the cleaning supplies under his other arm. After he slide open the door, his eyes adjusted to the darkness within the room, the only light in the closed-off rooms in the Inn was what emitted through the dusty sheets covering the closed blinds over the windows. Soon, he found what he was looking for.

"Hello Moe-Chan, how are you?" Keitaro whispered to the seated doll, putting his cleaning supplies on the floor next to the chair, then gently removing the sheet in much the same way he always did every month when he tended to her.

Moe-Chan sat silently, her metal arms folded on her lap.

"Right now, it's just you and me," Keitaro spoke as he gently dabbed some oil soap on a fresh cleaning rag, "Sara-chan successfully graduated high school, and was accepted to Harvard and she's off to kick back with her friends in Hawaii before she starts preparing for fall semester. She moved out three days ago… so it's time for some renovations," the manager started with Moe-Chan's fingers; making sure they would shine before his next visit.

After some time continuing with his cleaning duties, Keitaro looked up into her eyes. Sometimes, he suspected that the day when Moe-Chan came to life was the third proudest moment of his life. Sure, he had joyously shared in others with his family and friends—graduations, birthdays, engagement parties, weddings, birth celebrations, and anniversaries, but out of all the moments of his life he wondered if this was the best third place outcome he could ever have hoped for

Soon, Keitaro was done with Moe-Chan's hands and arms, he put away the cleaning rag and took out a lint roller and a small brush from his pack. He started removing the errant pieces of dust that had accumulated on Moe-chan's artificial body underneath the sheet since last month.

'Well, I guess allowing Moe-Chan to live for a time isn't bad to be in third place next to helping Motoko-chan grow into a true warrior and accomplishing the promises to Naru-chan and Mutsumi-chan,' he thought as he finished with Moe-Chan's body. Both Naru and Mutsumi had graduated Tokyo U and gone on to exciting careers.

"Just wish someone had told me what to do when **I** could not live up to **my** promise..." Keitaro, once again armed with the cleaning rag, started to delicately clean Moe-Chan's face.

He smiled at some of his memories over the past nine years. Some were a bit painful still, others bittersweet, and then there those joyous one that made everything in between more bearable. As he cleaned the doll's face, he recalled the fourth failure to get into Tokyo U. Naru's and Mutsumi's success in gaining admission, and his vow to Naru that he would succeed on his next try.

And then his next try… that year Naru discovered a talent for difficult science and mathematics. Kitsune settled into a steady job writing for the local newspaper; before long she was a featured columnist. Su tutored Naru, Shinobu won a local cooking competition and Mutsumi finally succeeded with growing the largest watermelon ever.

Then came the next exam failure. Su began attending Tokyo U; found there were **some** things edible on campus and joined Naru in her studies. Shinobu started taking part-time courses at a culinary school and that soon turned into full-time coursework… in addition to her finishing high school. The petite Hinata cook and Manager's helper began work on her first cookbook that year… Motoko began attending Tokyo U as well, surprising everyone with her selection of Pre-Law. The samurai girl then proceeded to surpass that surprise by soon bringing home a steady boyfriend.

'Five years ago,' Keitaro thought as he continued delicately detailing Moe-Chan's facial features. He sighed, remembering the rest; parts of it still hurt. The river of time sometimes swept you clean off your feet, but the crash into the water still stung.

Then came the letter from the local utilities saying that, unfortunately for the Hinata Inn, the electrical and water meters had been out of adjustment for several years and were now finally fixed. Of course, they had to pay back the amount that they had been undercharged. Su and Naru had begun plans for digging a well and also constructing a small back-yard fission pile to help with the utilities, but after a quick joint visit from the Mol-Mol Nuclear Safety Commission and the Japanese Atomic Energy Agency, it was agreed that there was just no way to make it work and still observe the needed safety protocols. Su pouted, of course, but made a commitment to continue working with the relevant agencies on research to make such a thing feasible in the future. As for the well, the water pumped from it was never anything less than cake mud.

To add to all that, Keitaro had also received notice that the Inn's insurance would be going up significantly, and also higher property tax valuations had kicked in due to tax increases.

It was at an Inn meeting around the dinner table, originally called to discuss these financial matters that, with a heavy heart, Keitaro rose and announced that due to these hardships, he would be forced to get a full-time job as a children's book illustrator to supplement the Inn's income, and also to stop trying to get into Tokyo U. He then apologized to Naru and Mutsumi, fighting back tears; but a couple still managed to stream down his cheeks. He then apologized to each and everyone in attendance at the meeting, even Haruka, Seta, and Su (she gave him a banana), and Sara who much to his surprise gave him a brief high-five. While no one had been happy to hear this news, nor were they surprised. Kitsune patted Keitaro on the back and gave him a hug, whispering briefly to him her heartfelt gratitude. Keitaro especially took time to carefully bow and apologize to Motoko and Shinobu. Shinobu gave Keitaro a strong hug, declaring he would always be her sempai and Motoko told him that though she had apologized and asked for his pardon for the way she had treated him in the first year when he started running the inn; once again she told him she wished to renew those requests and to add one to them. Keitaro had looked up into Motoko's stoic yet expressive eyes, asking what did she wish to add to what had already been said some time before.

"Urashima-san," Motoko said, "what I owe you is beyond evaluation." The Tokyo U student and samurai clutched the sheathed Hina blade at her side, then bowed deeply before him, and then quietly excused herself.

The meeting adjourned somberly, and Keitaro shuffled aimlessly in the general direction of his room. He was surprised to see Naru and Mutsumi already there, waiting for him.

Keitaro sniffled, told himself it was just the dust, as he finished his work on Moe-Chan. That meeting in his room with his two promise girls had left him barely able to walk for a few days afterward.

That night, Naru and Mutsumi told Keitaro that they completely supported his decision, and accepted his apology, but that he really should have given up on Tokyo U years earlier.

A single, pesky tear was at the corner of Keitaro's eye, he told himself he would not let it drop. Part of his mind raged against him for remembering this painful chapter again. If that tear dropped, it would tarnish Moe-Chan with his luck. Still, he remembered…

Keitaro had told Naru he just wanted to go to Tokyo U because of the promise, to be with her because he loved her. And for Mutsumi to be with who had become one of their best friends.

The girls had shared a look with each other, then both looked at the floor, seeming to shuffle their feet sheepishly in unison. Finally, in turn, Naru and Mutsumi told Keitaro that they wish they had told him sooner, but they both now had boyfriends; fellow students at Tokyo U.

Keitaro never recalled the moment that his knees buckled. The only thing to this day he recalled was the hard impact on his back as he fell sideways into his bookcase, then crumbling to the ground amid several books hitting him squarely in the face.

He never heard Naru and Mutsumi yelling, asking him if he was okay, but he did recall the door being swiftly slid open and Motoko kneeling next to him, checking him briefly while asking Naru what had happened. Shinobu, Haruka, and the others arrived in the manager's room as Naru finished her explanation.

Motoko had stood up sharply, advanced towards Naru and slapped her. "You were supposed to tell him last week!" Motoko raged.

"Motoko-chan, please listen..." Mutsumi asked uncertainly, not sure of the outcome if she spoke. "I know we promised you we would tell Kei-kun—or else **you** would tell him yourself-but we just never found the best time."

"Y-you two call this the best time?!" Motoko screamed at them in disgust. She jabbed a finger in Mutsumi's face. "I also told you that night you two should have told Urashima-san the day you two decided to become open to dating!"

By this time, Shinobu, Haruka, and Seta were helping Keitaro out of his room while the argument ensued. By the time, Keitaro blacked out entirely on that day, he heard Kitsune telling the two promise girls that they had behaved cowardly and only made a bad situation that much worse for Keitaro. Naru countered that it was never really **true** that Keitaro was ever going to really date her in the first place. Mutsumi smartly took this opportunity to faint.

Keitaro shuddered a bit, even though he was wearing a long sleeved shirt, he felt suddenly cold. That was one of the worst days of his life. Naru and Mutsumi had taken the hint to make themselves scarce for a few days. Granny Hina returned; this time to stay. She simply stated it was time to come home and be with her family. Motoko, Shinobu, Kitsune and Haruka looked after him and Granny while assisting with the Inn until he was back on his feet again. This was never forgotten by Keitaro, who always communicated with the four quite a bit more than the others.

This was especially true of the period after Motoko graduated from Tokyo U, a year early no less, then moved back home to Kyoto to be closer to her fiance and for her graduate courses in law, then successfully completing the examination to become a lawyer, and finally starting her legal internship while also serving her family's dojo as junior legal counsel in training. When Motoko's long engagement turned into a slow, painful realization that it just was not to be, Motoko soon began preparations to take over the leadership of the God's Cry School from her aunt when the time came. She also continued to teach the school's art part-time as well as continue on as full-time junior legal counsel after her legal internship was complete.

Through all these trials in the swordswoman's life Keitaro always made sure to call Motoko on the phone to see how she was doing, and a small unassuming gift of tea and sweets every so often was something Motoko looked forward to receiving during that year after the breaking of her engagement. Motoko had returned the favor during the period of mourning for Granny Hina after her death, as well as the year afterward.

"Motoko-chan…." he whispered. Indeed, it was Motoko's face, hair, and gentle yet stern voice that echoed to him in his dreams the most over the years. Sometimes he even awakened in the night with a start, sweating profusely, his hand reaching up, or to his side, desperately trying to grasp something. To follow, somehow. When his hand collapsed, not finding any support, he always had to deal with the sweat, tears, and the ache in his loins.

Keitaro shook his head, berating himself. Yes, he wanted to see her again; to have her close by, more than anything, but how could he do that to her? Try and drag her down, keep her from achieving the heights in her clan, and also in her career, all to ease his failure and loneliness? And what if he did… address his feelings with Motoko and she accepted? It had not been too long since her engagement ended; would she just view him as a rebound relationship? Or think he was being an opportunistic pervert? What about marriage? And what about children? How could he ask her to have his children? No, he would damage her clan...

A bitter, paper-thin chuckle did escape Keitaro's lips as he finished up his work with Moe-Chan, still fighting the tears in his eyes. Right now, he just wanted to finish with this task and then move on with the next one. That was how he managed, day to day.

000

Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, God's Cry School of Kendo…

Motoko Aoyama closed her laptop after carefully (she still had a tough time with technology) saving her work on the dojo's landscaping contracts. She was dressed in her gi and hakama, ready for a morning of teaching kendo to teenagers and then a session with her Aunt Kaede, practicing for her future role as the head of the God's Cry School. Her eyes drifted across her room to her book shelf. On top, next to the sword-stand where the Hina katana rested, was the scroll she had been studying for the last two weeks every night before bed.

The scroll had been disturbing, but enlightening. To think that after being raised in the dojo that she had never heard about such knowledge was off-putting, but she understood why what the scroll contained was not more widely-known. The Secret Techniques described in it would make almost impossible demands on a warrior's ki, but if they could be successfully performed they would mean the difference between life and death in a battle or an emergency situation.

'Some things should only be revealed if absolutely necessary to preserve life,' Motoko thought. She then chuckled inwardly. 'Preserve life; if those techniques had one error in execution they would instantly kill the warrior performing them.'

She looked at the clock on the wall. Five minutes. She opened up her date planner, checking over her tasks for that day. She smiled, later Motoko and her sister Tsuruko would discuss a certain little surprise they (mostly Motoko) were planning for a friend. Finally, the last item for that day in her planner was a phone call to said friend.

Motoko read the line item in her planner back to her. '9:30 PM, call Keitaro to see about coming down to Hinata City for lunch. Plant idea in his dense head about taking a vacation in Kyoto when the renovations on the Inn begin.'

Gracefully, she rose and retrieved the Hina blade. She carefully unsheathed it, giving the katana a careful visual inspection. It was time. She returned the blade to its scabbard.

Motoko exited her office, then proceeded out of the small converted guest house that housed her rooms and office. She slid the door shut behind her when she noticed someone sitting on the deck.

"Oh, hello!" the funny looking western looking man with curling, silver hair dressed in a dark suit said to Motoko as he strummed a classic style electric guitar on the doorstep of the traditional building that housed Motoko's office and room at the God's Cry Kendo School in Kyoto.

Her hand instinctively on the hilt of the Hina sword, Motoko spoke clearly: "Identify yourself, you are trespassing on sacred grounds."

The man looked down at the guitar, tuning some of the strings, he then played a quiet tune. "Well, good thing I am not here then."

Motoko drew her weapon partly from its sheath, "State your business before I call every blade in this place and then the police." She noted for the inevitable police report that his accent was Scottish.

The man and his guitar flickered in and out of existence in front of her with a brief doubling and tripling of image in front of her and a faint crackle of static.

Motoko blinked, observing this, but remaining at the ready. Was this stranger one of Su and Naru's weird friends, perhaps?

"Like I said, I'm not here." The man said. He set the guitar aside and stood up to face her, hands at his side.

"A hologram is still more than capable of bothering me." Motoko stated evenly. "That still ranks as an unwanted intrusion."

The flickering image stopped. The man appeared perfectly clearly again. "I'd love to continue these **extended** introductions, but you unfortunately do not have the time."

"I have plenty of time," Motoko sheathed the Urashima family katana entrusted to her fully. "By the time the night is out, my clan will have your location and then you will answer for disturbing our peace here." Motoko sighed, "for Kami-sama's sake have you ever heard of the mail, a phone call, a knock on the front gate, or even smoke signals?"

"Aoyama-sama, **you** do not have the *time*."

"Myself?" Motoko asked, her patience almost at its end. "But what about you?"

"The longer we waste with this game the less time you have to save your world," the man's image flickered again. "Now listen, I am not here; indeed I am not even on your planet or even in your universe. This holographic projection is aimed through a crack in the space-time continuum of *my* universe into yours."

Motoko sighed. 'Wait,' she looked at his facial expression. He was telling the truth, or at least what he sincerely believed to be the truth. "how did you know my name?" Despite her placement and prominence within her clan, her identity was not easily publicly available to those outside of the God's Cry School.

"I'll at least tell you that. The Taar, eh-" the man stopped, seemingly thinking better of trying to explain too much. "A friend of mine with talent with seeing through these cracks in time and space has seen a number of events in the time-stream of your universe. Not to put too fine a point on this, but while I don't know everything about you, I will tell you what I do know very briefly. I know about you, your sister Tsuruko, a man named Keitaro Urashima, a Grandmother Hina, Keisuke Urashima, Moe-Chan and a whole lot about ki energies and how they're all connected with you and them."

Motoko paled. "You have my attention."

"Good," the man replied. "Listen carefully, I will not have time to repeat this. First, I will introduce myself properly. I am the Doctor, a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey in a universe parallel to your own. I will tell you first what you need to know then, with your permission, I will project a memory wave which will visually show you some memories of mine relevant to this threat. It will be instantaneous, your brain will store them like memories and organize the knowledge from them."

000

The tear did fall, of course, and it briefly tarnished Moe-Chan's still features before Keitaro wiped it off. "sorry," he said to the doll. He would clean her again, he owed the silent doll that much.

-Click… click… click-

Keitaro looked up. He looked around, wondering if a long forgotten clock in the room had just stopped ticking. Telling himself that was ridiculous, considering how long this section of the inn had been closed off, Keitaro looked down-

-and found himself looking directly into Moe-Chan's eyes.

"M-m-moe-Chan?" Keitaro sputtered.

More clicks, a brief light flicker to her eyes, and a creak of gears.

Keitaro's heart lept into his throat. "Moe-Chan! Can you hear me? Say something!"

"… cannot… hold the barrier seals… any longer… Keisuke-sama… Hina-sama… Keitaro-sama… Aoyama-sama not here… not enough… ki energy… cannot stop them...cannot hold *them* back anymore..."

Keitaro swallowed. Elated though he was to hear Moe-Chan operate again, this did not sound good. "Wh-what do you mean, Moe-Chan?"

Moe-Chan opened her eyes fully, her silver pupils boring into his. "They are coming."

Keitaro was about to ask who "they" were when the entire room shook, nearly causing him and Moe-Chan to topple over onto the dusty floor. After finding his footing again, he noted that the entire room seemed to be vibrating from the ground up. Keitaro had the feeling that he and Moe-Chan needed to get out of there immediately. He hoped Moe-Chan would be able to stand-

"Come on, Moe-Chan, we're going for a little walk," Keitaro secured his arm around the doll's shoulders and eased her up into a standing position.

A smaller, but closer, shaking occurred, this time from down the hallway.

"Who's there?!" Keitaro shouted.

Silence, even from Moe-Chan.

"Stay here," Keitaro said. He picked up a large hammer from his tool belt and went over to the door, and listened.

Keitaro listened for perhaps half a minute, still hearing no sound he slowly slid open the old door and peeked his head out into the dimly lit hallway.

"EXTERMINATE!"

000

Motoko swallowed in a suddenly dry throat, almost as soon as it began it was over, her mind reeling trying to remember, absorb, organize, and use all the information the man had told/shown her. Her first order of business was to speak to her sister, then Urashima, then Su and Naru…

"Listen to those memories I have shown you, Motoko-sama. Learn from them, I did not get to be over 2,000 years old without making some mistakes along the way, learning from them, and then sometimes, when lucky, correcting them. Sometimes, those memories can provide just the right kick to the arse that we need."

She nodded, still trying to handle both what she now knew but also trying to plan for the struggle ahead.

"Motoko-sama, our time has come to an end" the flickering holographic projection of the Doctor said to her. He smiled sadly, was silent for a moment, he seemed to be debating if he should say anything further. Finally, in a voice not much above a whisper: "Perhaps after all this business is done, you may think you should leave things with Urashima-san as they were before as 'just friends.'"

The holographic Doctor looked around the courtyard of this part of the school. Seemingly enjoying the brief serenity he observed in the world Motoko inhabited. "Well, maybe you are right-"

She listened.

"-but I doubt it," he lowered his head to look squarely at her. "That is my parting gift for you, Motoko Aoyama; that doubt."

With a brief flicker and the faint crackle in the air, he was gone.

Motoko's cell phone message notification sounded in her robes. She fished it out, looked at the sender, and forced herself to calmly open the message.

"Kami-sama… no..." Motoko recognized the image from one of the memories the Doctor had shown her. The caption underneath the message read: "Help! Hiding in old passages with Moe-Chan. They're all over looking for us! Sounds like inn flying through the air."

Motoko started running for the main house, shouting for her sister Tsuruko, her mother Konoha, and the current head of the God's Cry School, her aunt Kaede. She knew she was drawing attention from the other students and staff at the school, but it would serve her purpose. As she reached the house where she grew up, Motoko heard a rumbling noise from overhead. She looked up, and saw five large metallic objects high in the sky and getting smaller as they soon left the area above Kyoko. The objects had come from the direction of Kanagawa. As she reached the house to see her worried mother, sister, aunt, and her brother in law Mitsuru there, Motoko began to explain that Keitaro was in grave danger; she showed them the picture and the message from Keitaro. This and what was just seen in the sky above erased any doubt about the gravity of the situation.

As Motoko started texting back a simple message to Keitaro, she was aware of the preparations beginning around her, her aunt and mother calling for the school's finest to report immediately, Mitsuru called the authorities, and Tsuruko called Naru and Su's laboratory. Motoko sent her message, and prayed silently to the kami it would be received.

"I am coming for you and Moe-Chan. Keep out of sight and hang on!"

000

TO BE CONTINUED...


	2. Chapter 2 - Broken Clocks

**"BROKEN CLOCKS"**

A Love Hina/Doctor Who crossover story.

By MakKeiUra

Send all comments, critiques, and other assorted nonsense to:

makkeiura

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Love Hina, Ken Akamatsu does, nor do I own Doctor Who. The BBC and its various units and writers own the good Doctor. No profit or other monies are being made from this work.

NOTES: For Love Hina, this story takes place in an alternate universe/future to the anime-only continuity. For Doctor Who, this takes place in whatever comes next for the 12th Doctor after "The Husbands of River Song" but before the next canon adventure… which the BBC tells us will be another Steven Moffat penned Christmas special. On the part of Love Hina, as I was always too damned poor to acquire the manga, any extras you see in this story that don't quite jive with the anime are freely absorbed from almost fifteen years of reading Love Hina fan fiction. Things diverge from canon after TV episode 25. While I do acknowledge that, obviously, this story will alter a lot of the background purposes of what drives the main characters in Love Hina, I suspect that this is what you are here for.

Revision C: Expansion/restructuring of first two chapters.

000

Keitaro spared a quarter of a second to scan the message that Motoko had sent, then he quickly put away his mobile phone, secured Moe-Chan under his arm, and resumed running down the narrow secondary hallway of the Inn that followed the wall of the inn next to the hot spring. The hot spring that Keitaro doubted even existed anymore.

The entire hallway shuddered violently, and Keitaro almost tripped. In the back of his mind he congratulated himself on not tumbling end over end down the hall because at the rate the shuddering was increasing he doubted that the building's structural integrity would hold out much longer.

A large chunk of plaster dropped to the floor a scant less than a meter in front of him, caking him and Moe-Chan in decades-old drywall. He hopped over that with Moe-Chan. At the end of the hallway, he could see that a large crack had appeared in the wall, rays of sunlight and gusts of wind issuing forth from it.

'This is not looking good, I'm sorry Granny,' Keitaro thought as he mentally tried to think of someway out of his predicament. After he encountered that metal *thing* outside of Moe-Chan's room he had picked up the doll and bolted sideways into one of the secret passages Su and Sara had meticulously mapped out for him over the years. He and Moe-Chan could hear the metal beings following them through the main rooms and corridors of the Inn as they crawled around, and Keitaro had risked a lot to get a picture of one (from a distance, and using the zoom function on his phone's camera), but he knew he needed a picture to get out to Motoko-even if he and Moe-Chan did not survive. He and Moe-Chan heard something that sounded like the metal ones conversing, but beyond the one word he had heard when he came face to face with that one outside of Moe-Chan's room, he could not make out the words amid the sounds of the slow death of the Hinata Inn around them.

Another violent shudder, and then a loud, long crack followed by something akin to grinding. He could hear the windows he had replaced six years ago with Motoko and Haruka's help shattering next. Keitaro knew he and Moe-Chan had less than a minute. He looked ahead, they are almost to the end of the hallway and that widening crack with promising sunlight and wind. Once they got to it, Keitaro knew what he had to do…

Jump.

Jump, cover Moe-Chan with his body and hope to the kami and Granny Hina's spirit that somehow his "immortality" would be enough to save Moe-Chan when his body crashed into the ground or the sea.

They arrived at the crack, now a gaping hole in the side of what was left of the rapidly crumbling building, and Keitaro did not stop as he shouted down at Moe-Chan to hold on as he sprinted out into the air…

… and did not fall.

Moe-Chan looked up over Keitaro's shoulder. "Oh dear…"

Keitaro looked up. "Awh, SHIT!"

A light green glow was enveloping him and Moe-Chan, and at the other end of the green glow, hovering in mid-air was one of the metal beings.

"TARGETS CAPTURED! RETURN TO CONTROL SHIP!"

000

Motoko paced back and forth in the office of the God's Cry dojo. Across from her, talking on two mobile phones was Tsuruko, talking to their Aunt Kaede who was busily organizing the top practitioners of the school's art that were at the dojo on one phone, and to their mother Konoha on the other phone who was attempting to contact all the other God's Cry members in the local vicinity who were, literally, the best of the best. At this point, the count was at fourteen.

Motoko scanned the room again. Mitsuru, dressed in his impeccable black pinstripe suit, was studying her mobile phone, and the picture of the metal being on it, and Keitaro's message. Motoko frowned, she looked up at the clock on the wall. Hardly ten minutes had passed since she had run up to her family and told them and showed them the message Keitaro had sent.

'Father,' Motoko thought, 'I wish you were here.' But he was at work, but he had been called and said he was on his way to the dojo.

"What kind of foul demon could this be?" Motoko muttered to herself. Then she looked to Tsuruko. "And what is taking so long?"

"It's been eleven minutes, sister," Tsuruko said, "calm yourself. We will rescue Keitaro-san once we can actually reach those ships."

Motoko knew that. Hardly six minutes before she had just hung up the phone with Naru and Su. Their laboratory's radar network had picked up the large object that had once been the Hinata Inn rising into the air as it became clear it was a large mass of earth, rock, and the Inn's structure being held up by five ships of some kind. Naru and Su assured Motoko they had something that could reach anything as long it was no further out than the moon. The only thing keeping Motoko here was the need to get as many blades as possible in the rescue party.

"Eighteen now," Tsuruko said, relaying what their mother had just told her. Then from their aunt: "I will lead the rescue mission, Motoko-han, you will be my lieutenant."

Motoko nodded. Despite her own status as heir to the dojo, Tsuruko still had the most experience in a combat situation.

"And this," Mitsuru spoke after studying the picture message of the metallic being on Keitaro's phone. "Is not a demon. I feel no such spirit from it. It is a living creature-the kind of which I have never seen nor felt before-inside of a metal skin. I believe it is obvious they are space aliens."

"So now we fight aliens." Motoko commented, resuming her pacing. "I should have been there, damn it!"

Tsuruko blinked. "Pardon?"

"There! Down in Hinata! With Him!" Motoko grounded each sentence out through barely clenched teeth.

"Now is not the time for such regrets, Motoko, focus on rescuing Keitaro-san." Tsuruko admonished.

"If I had more sense, I would have never left." Motoko was speaking as she paced, looking towards the opened door where servants and warriors were loading into vehicles for the trip to Su-Narusegawa Labs located just outside Kyoto City.

"Motoko," Mitsuru spoke sharply. "You have done and are doing more to help Keitaro-san than anyone else. Just keep your eyes sharp, your ears open, your mind uncluttered and your ki will do the rest."

Motoko spared a moment to look at her brother in law. A quiet man by nature, his profession as a demon hunter specializing in exorcisms and purifications required that when he would speak up, it would have to strike right at the root of the issue at hand. He also had piercing blue eyes as well, which always seemed to arrest those he fixed them on for a time.

"As you say, Mitsuru-kun." Motoko exhaled, mentally reciting the calming exercises Kaede had taught her when she first moved back home. She returned her attention to Tsuruko. "If only I had gone there last week."

Tsuruko, after listening and responding to first her aunt and then her mother on the two mobile phones, shot a sharp look to Motoko: "And then what? We both know he would not have left until Sara-chan was all packed up and out. Moe-Chan as well! If you had been there, would you rather risk you being caught off guard and captured too or worse? And what if Sara-chan had delayed her departure by a day or two to spend some time with you, Haruka, and Seta-sensei? Or if some of the other girls had come down to Hinata City to join you all?"

Motoko's mind warred between the possibilities outlined by her sister.

"But enough of this useless blather," Tsuruko said as he hung up both phones and put them in her gi. "We have twenty-four that can be at the lab in forty-five minutes. It will have to do. Kanzaki!"

"Tsuruko-sama?" Kanzaki, the longtime head servant of the God's Cry School, answered.

"We are leaving now!"

000

Su-Narsuegawa labs occupied a spacious plot of land just outside of the Kyoto City limits in what was once a row of three large warehouses and a large office park for a shipping conglomerate. Since acquiring the land, the Su and Naru's company had constructed a seven story building that resembled quite predictably, when viewed from a distance, a bunch of bananas.

The drive to the lab, with National Police escort, took forty-three minutes. Upon arrival at the large courtyard of the lab complex, the Aoyama party was met by Su, Naru, and Kentaro Sakata.

Sakata gave a short bow to Motoko and Tsuruko. "Good to see you both again, I wish it was under happier circumstances."

"Likewise, Sakata-san," Tsuruko nodded, returning the flamboyantly dressed scientist's greeting.

Motoko bowed to Kentaro and then ran over to Su and Naru who were working with tablets while they conferred with several assistants.

"Motoko-onii-chan!" Su spared a moment to give Motoko a bone-crushing hug, which was appreciated.

"Motoko-chan!" Naru bowed, a hint of a smile on her face before the bespectacled scientist returned her attention to the scientific readouts on the tablet. "Come! We haven't much time!"

By this time, the God's Cry School group had exited their vehicles and silently but efficiently followed Motoko and Tsuruko inside the large banana shaped glass doors of the lab's main lobby. They walked past a large jungle themed waiting area, and approached the opposite wall that contained a row of elevators. Motoko was the first to approach a monitor set inside the wall where, usually, an elevator's control panel would be. She glanced back to Su, "well?" Motoko asked.

"Just walk up to it, Motokos!" Su grinned as she looked up briefly from her tablet. "We gotta save Kay-taros!"

Motoko did as she was told, and almost instantly the panel lit up, a screen of text appeared with what appeared to be a profile of Motoko on it. A voice spoke: "Identity confirmed. Motoko Aoyama, maximum security clearance." The doors of the row of elevators opened before the group.

Once inside the elevator, and going down to the underground lab, Motoko turned to Su. "Your computer system already knows me?"

"Yays!" Su nodded. "Both Motokos and Tsurukos have highest security clearance for all of our toys and playrooms! You could even make a big badda-boom if you asked nicely."

Tsuruko gave the scientists a quizzical look.

"You have the run of the lab," Kentaro clarified.

"And you can use any piece of equipment you need to," Naru added.

"You assured us you had craft capable of reaching the ships that abducted Keitaro-san." Tsuruko said curtly.

Naru and Su shared a quick smile as the elevator stopped, dinged, then opened.

"You two were not just humoring us," Motoko deadpanned.

The group exited the elevator and found themselves in a large underground hangar complex which fed into the above ground hangers above by means of bored out tunnels that come up into the center of each hanger. Before them, supported by large pylons and industrial moorings was a large ship, shining metal in the shape of a…

'Turtles. Why did it have to be turtles?,' Motoko thought in passing as she visually scanned the craft occupying the hanger.

"That is SDF Tama-sama," Naru pointed at the gigantic craft that took up most of the room in the massive facility as technicians and workers milled around it operating various servicing equipment and as supplies were loaded onboard.

"You also assured me everything would be voice-activated and automated." Tsuruko stated. "I meant what I said when I told you we would not allow anyone else on this mission."

"Yays and yays," Su nodded excitedly. "Anything the onboard computer cannot do will be handled by remote heres!"

Motoko took a few steps forward into the hanger as the samurai of the school assembled around them, awaiting orders. "What is that one over there?" she pointed.

"Oh, that?" Kentaro looked over to where the swordswoman had pointed. "That is one of our prototype space fighters. Much, much smaller, but faster than SDF Tama-Sama though not nearly as heavily fortified; still tough as hell, though."

Motoko turned her attention back to the larger ship, then to Tsuruko. "Let us proceed with boarding!"

Tsuruko was busy scanning her mobile phone. "Wait! Mother and Aunt just sent over more reinforcements."

"Keitaro and Moe-chan cannot wait any longer!"

"We need as many ki blade users from the clan as possible, Motoko-han!" Tsuruko put the phone back in her gi. "I was placed in charge of this operation, so while we wait begin working with Sakata-san to get everyone on board and ready to launch."

Motoko glared. "Very well," she turned back briefly to the space fighter waiting there patiently beside its much larger hanger-mate.

"Sakata-san, please show us on board."

"With pleasure, Aoyama-sama!" Kentaro turned to the stoic samurais waiting behind Motoko. "Follow me!" he broke into a run over to the main entrance gangplank of the SDF Tama-Sama.

As the assembled samurai followed Sakata, Tsuruko turned to Motoko. "While you attend to that, I will see what Su and Naru have learned about these aliens and what that spacecraft can do to help rescue Keitaro-san and Moe-Chan." Tsuruko strode away as Su and Naru began telling her about their findings.

For a split second, Motoko realized she was alone, and unobserved. She recalled what Su, Naru, and Sakata had told her about the voice activation, security clearances, and the big-badda-booms. It only took another second for her to make her decision.

Nobody noticed as the raven-haired kendoka stealthily and quickly darted over to the space fighter and climbed inside. It was just as Kentaro realized that Motoko was not following him that the space fighter roared to life, rose into the air, and blasted off through the open hangar door into the blue sky above.

000

Motoko looked at the view screen of the cockpit of the Space Fighter Tama Alpha, forcing herself not to focus too much on the various turtle related decor and controls of Su's spacecraft. Motoko thanked the kami and her ancestors numerous times for Su designing the ship's autopilot and navigation assistance program voice help feature to be usable for someone with no vehicle operation skills of any kind—even if the spaceship had been stolen. The alien's ships were very slowly but steadily enlarging blips on the small scanner view screen above her. Reading the basic Japanese language translation on the screen, she had a little less than five minutes before she arrived. Motoko clutched the Hina blade close, she had already given the computer her instructions for the ship's final moments, and then set about adjusting the space suit she had stolen just prior to stealing the ship. Fortunately, it too had very helpful automated adjustment systems. Another screen showed the little turtle spacecraft and other objects of interest in the local area around the Earth and the moon, including the still visually unseen metal alien fleet. To Motoko's relief, she saw another blip, and a brief text explanation and image on the screen. It was Su and Naru's pride and joy, SDF Tama-Sama. The ship that contained the only hope for humanity's survival against the metal aliens; the finest of her clan assembled by Tsuruko, their mother and their aunt.

"Incoming transmission," the ship's Mol-Mol accented main computer smoothly intoned.

"Put it through!" Motoko barked, leaning forward briefly in the seat, having no idea what else to say for the computer to, well, as she knew it, pick up the phone.

The screen changed from various bar-graphs and diagrams that Motoko did not understand to show Su and Naru's worried faces.

[Motoko-chan! What the hell do you think you're doing?! Tsuruko-sama said for you to wait for her!] Naru yelled.

[Yays! Space Fighter Tama Alpha can't take down those poop genies on her own!] Su also said. Then a brief smile: [But version 2.0 will!]

[That's enough, Su!] Naru gave a brief shove to the Mol-Mol princess' shoulder. Motoko noted that the meditation exercises she taught Naru had seemed to had served her well in calming her temper over the years.

'Something I should have taught her years before; I'm sure it would have made things easier for Urashima-san.' Taking half a second to compose herself, the kendo woman answered her friends: "He doesn't have time!"

Naru shook her head over the video link. [Motoko, you can't get to Keitaro and Moe-Chan on your own! There's no way, even for you!]

"Naru-san, I have to."

[Look, we're all worried for Keitaro and Moe-Chan, and we're going to get them out of there, I promise you, but you gotta listen to reason-]

"I did listen to reason when I left Hinata, Naru-san," Motoko cut her friend off. "And it was perfectly sound reason at the time but it was wrong."

[What?!]

Motoko looked down in silence, before looking up at the view screen in the cockpit. She glanced briefly at the instruments around her and the various holographic displays. She then looked down at the steadily receding Earth below her and the shifting and enlarging spacecraft ahead of her; the enemy ships now appeared to be the size of large moths on a window looking out into the night. The alien's fleet's place halfway between the moon and Earth seemed to be planned for some reason. It also appeared that the lead alien ship also no longer had the Hinata Inn resting on top of it as was stated in the military intelligence reports from earlier in the day. No matter, Motoko told herself, the damned turtle she was riding in will get her there soon enough.

She remembered the first time he saved her clearer than ever now. Those first days when she first met him after returning from training camp, the misunderstandings Keitaro seemed to just attract, and how her temper and issues with men were such a volatile mixture then. Even though she had treated him horribly, Keitaro saw his duty and honor was to try and help her. Even when she foolishly thought she was suffering from 'first love' and sought to banish such 'weakness' by forcing Keitaro into a duel. When she chased him up onto the roof; she charged him, lost her balance, and began tumbling down the roof. It was Keitaro who reached his hand out to her… and saved her from falling off the roof into the rocky hot springs below.

"I have found holding out an open hand to someone is probably the most powerful gesture in the universe." She did not say it, but she knew who it was who had.

'Thank you, Doctor,' Motoko thought.

[MOTOKO-CHAN? What's wrong?] Su asked now, shocking the swordswoman out her focus.

Motoko looked up at her friends. "I never should have left him alone."

Naru could only nod in silent acknowledgement. Not agreement, or even understanding, just accepting the swords woman's decision.

"So you see," Motoko said as she saw that she would soon arrive at her target. "I failed Urashima-san once, I will not do so again. Naru-san, I am not going to let anyone stop me now!"

Motoko cut transmission. Almost immediately, another transmission came in, but this time not from Earth, or the ship carrying Tsuruko and the clan.

"Well," Motoko said to the universe. "No reason I cannot be civil about this." She instructed the computer to put the new communication on screen.

The first thing Motoko saw was the setting, the large control room of the alien ship, next she noted the aliens themselves and how they seemed to be arrayed in the rear, next to, she noted, her goal: the two prisoners, Keitaro (looking more wiry and muscular than when she last saw him), wearing a tattered red long-sleeved shirt and well-worn blue jeans and the mechanic doll Moe-Chan, dressed in her red and light blue dress as she remembered.

[EARTH SHIP, YOU WILL SURRENDER AND SUBMIT TO LIQUIDATION OF YOUR ENERGIES!]

"And if I do not?" Motoko asked.

[THEN THE TWO PRISONERS WILL BE EXTERMINATED! IF YOU TAKE THEIR PLACE THEN WE SHALL ONLY AMPUTATE LIMBS FOR ENERGY LIQUIDATION AND PROCESSING!]

"I have a better idea," Motoko replied coolly, keeping her emotions level even as she noted Keitaro paling even more as talk around him centered on liquidation, amputation, and processing. "How about **you** and your group surrender to **me** before you suffer the consequences."

[CONSEQUENCES?!]

"My clan will absolutely destroy every last one of you," Motoko stated proudly.

The squat, metallic alien swiveled it's protruding appendage back and forth. [BUT YOU HAVE NO SHIP CAPABLE OF DESTROYING US, NO WEAPONS THAT CAN DAMAGE US, AND NO STRATEGY FOR VICTORY AGAINST US, THE SUPERIOR BEINGS!]

"No," Motoko said to the image on the view screen, her eyes never leaving where a circular group of those things held Keitaro and Moe-Chan prisoner. She counted six in the circle; those appendages never shifting a centimeter from pointing squarely at their targets. In the large room she counted at least thirty-five in view.

[THEN YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!]

'Is their vocabulary *this* limited?,' Motoko thought dryly. Then, she felt a tug at the back of her mind. Yes, their vocabulary was that limited. "No, I will not be exterminated."

[HOW?]

"Because I am going to win," Motoko said, "I am going to detonate this damned tin turtle, destroying your energy shields, then using the ki techniques of my ancestors I will slice my way into that uglier tin can you travel in, rescue Urashima-san and Moe-Chan, and then slice each and every one of you into **shreds**. Then my sister and my clan will do the same for all the other tin cans in your pathetic, dishonorable little **fleet**."

[IMPOSSIBLE! YOU ARE OUTNUMBERED! YOU HAVE NO CHANCE TO DEFEAT US!]

"Then why are you so scared?" Motoko smiled.

Her only answer on the view screen was the swift swiveling of appendages in agitation back and forth, much to the swords-woman's satisfaction.

"Urashima-san!" Motoko called, as loud as he could.

"Motoko-chan!" Keitaro answered, like she had never left the inn.

"I am coming to save you, Kei-kun!"

000

TO BE CONTINUED...


	3. Chapter 3 - Walking Wounded

"Walking Wounded"

A Love Hina/Doctor Who crossover fanfiction.

By MakKeiUra

Send all comments, critiques, and other assorted nonsense to:

makkeiura

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Love Hina, Ken Akamatsu does, nor do I own Doctor Who. The BBC and its various units and writers own the good Doctor. No profit is being made from this.

NOTES: For Love Hina, this story takes place in an alternate universe/future to the anime-only continuity. For Doctor Who, this takes place in between whatever comes next for the 12th Doctor after "The Husbands of River Song" but before the next canon adventure… which the BBC tells us will be another Steven Moffat penned Christmas special. On the part of Love Hina, as I was always too damned poor to acquire the manga, any extras you see in this story that don't quite jive with the anime are freely absorbed from almost fifteen years of reading Love Hina fan fiction. For simplicity sake, the major point of departure is the end of the TV series, including episode 25. Just ignore everything that happened on screen after that. While I do acknowledge that, obviously, this story will alter a lot of the background purposes of what drives the main characters in Love Hina, I suspect that this is what you are here for.

REVISION B: Expansion of chapter.

000

Thursday, April 6th, 2009 Half-way between the Earth and the Moon.

A red button highlighted before her after she told the computer her wish for the ship to self-destruct. The computer then confirmed her identity for security clearance and to double-check that this is what she wanted it to do. Motoko testily confirmed that it was. The red button read simply: COMMIT

She committed.

Motoko was aware of the shaking in the cockpit around her as the space fighter raced towards its target. The warning alarms sounded around her, and many lights blinked red and orange as the ship's reactor core began its self-destruct cycle. But she was hardly aware of any of it as she focused her ki energies on three of the most sacred secret techniques of the God's Cry School. Motoko clutched the Hina blade, feeling the contained cursed powers adding to her own ki abilities.

It was time.

She spared a brief moment to ask the kami and her ancestors to make her promise to Keitaro and Moe-chan come true, then...

"SECRET TECHNIQUE LAVA DANCER!"

Time seemed to stop for Motoko as she was aware of the ship shaking violently, then a sudden, blinding flash as the space fighter impacted and exploded against the alien ship's energy shields. Instantaneously, Motoko was aware of her ki aura enveloping her as it shielded her from the violent explosion, the sudden decompression, and then the debris of vacuum that the pressure suit could not compensate for. Then she saw the hull of the alien ship before her, and then…

"SECRET TECHNIQUE CRANE OF THE STARS!"

Motoko raced forward, her legs in the pressure suit not moving save for the flex of her muscles guiding her ki aura as it rocketed her forward towards the dark metal hull of the ship. Briefly, she noted the stars, the mingling light from the Earth, the moon, and the sun.

'It really is as beautiful as they all said.' She thought as she prepared for what came next in barely a fraction of a second.

"SECRET TECHNIQUE AZBANTIUM CRUSHER!"

Two slices, half a crescent each, appeared in the ship's hull almost simultaneously, causing instant explosive decompression of that part of the ship. Motoko barely noted the atmosphere dissipating as she raced into the ship, crashing through another two interior corridors before coming to a rest as her aura shimmered and faded.

The warrior regarded where she landed as she felt the vibration behind her of some kind of emergency door closing off one of the sections she had just burst through. Soon enough, the helpful Mol-Mol voice from the pressure suit's computer chimed in: "Breathable atmosphere detected. You are now free to remove your helmet; have a nice day!"

Motoko unsealed the space helmet, removed it, took a tentative half-breath; found the air foul but breathable with no trace of poison. She secured the helmet to the back utility belt of the pressure suit with the tether provided. If need be, she would ensure Keitaro and Moe-Chan's survival by stuffing them both into the suit.

She heard her enemy before she saw it. The faint sound of wheels and gears working around the corner of the corridor ahead.

"EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!"

Motoko held down the Hina blade in front of her, then completed one-half circle in front of her.

The offending enemy alien machine was suddenly launched back down the corridor it had ventured up by a strong gust of wind. Motoko heard the loud metal upon metal crunching sound as she flattened herself against the corridor wall and crept around the corner to see.

The metal alien was now pasted against the far wall of the corridor, severely dented and the appendage barely shaking. The lights on the metal being flickered, then went dim.

"Computer," Motoko said into the pressure suit's head-set. "Locate the only human life sign on board that is not me."

"Thirty meters straight ahead, and twenty-two meters to the left, followed by an inclining ramp of 22.50 degrees up five meters!" The female Mol-Mol computer voice answered in syrupy cheer.

"Thank you!" Motoko shouted as she started to run.

"EXTERMINATE!"

"SECRET TECHNIQUE ROCK SPLITTING SWORD!" Motoko cut three metal aliens in two in one diagonal swipe, she noted in satisfaction as she ran past the screams and explosions that resulted.

Motoko followed the directions the pressure suit's computer gave her as she took down fifteen of the enemy with five different secret techniques and ten uses of the half-crescent. Once Motoko had ascended the staircase to her destination, she found six aliens waiting for her.

"YOU WILL DIE!" The cannon like appendages glowed briefly as several power bolts arched towards Motoko.

Motoko answered that threat by jumping into the air, barely avoiding the bolts, and then proceeded to slice the protruding appendages off the assembled six with a quick full crescent turn of the Hina katana.

"MY VISION IS IMPAIRED I CANNOT SEE!" The six mutilated tin pots repeatedly doddered back and forth in the corridor in front of the thick, fortified blast door. And beyond that door, Motoko knew, was Keitaro and Moe-Chan.

Motoko eyed her target, the one precisely in the middle of the blast door.

"SECRET TECHNIQUE TRUE LIGHTNING SWORD!"

Glowing with the ki aura, Motoko swept the Hina blade once, then twice as a red, ethereal current of energy issued from her and lanced into the alien. Motoko took three jumping steps back down the corridor as the explosion finally claimed all six of her enemies.

000

Keitaro's head shot up from where he cradled Moe-Chan in his arms as a loud, piercing explosion shook the entire room, then suddenly choking, blinding smoke filled the area.

"WHAT? WHAT IS IT?"

"INTRUDERS! EXTERMINATE! KEEP CONTAINED THE REGENERATION ENERGY HOSTAGE AND THE ENERGY DAMPENING SEAL MACHINE!"

Keitaro coughed, clutching Moe-Chan closer as the automaton shook her head back and forth as she silently observed her surroundings. Almost as soon as the smoke enveloped the room, it cleared. Now, he looked in between the aliens encircling them. A figure could be seen emerging into the large control room.

A tear trickled down his cheek, but not from the smoke.

"Motoko-chan..!"

Motoko stepped forward out of the smoke, the Hina blade glinting proudly in the low light of the ship's control room. With her free hand, she pointed at him. "Kei-kun! Keep your head down with Moe-Chan!"

"EXTERMINATE THE INTRUDER!" A dozen aliens advanced on Motoko swiftly.

Motoko smiled. "Once again, I shall cut worthless objects!"

And she did. One received the Hina blade right through what one assumed could be its head (the exiting blade caked in dripping green ooze), the other got sliced in thirds, and finally the last got its bottom portion cut out from under it, and began rolling around the floor in flustration as it blindly fired energy beams until it caused a rafter from the ceiling to come crashing down on it; finally putting it out of its misery. The final nine fell to the retribution of the Secret Technique Iron-Cutting Flash; sending them flying around the control room or colliding with extreme force into each other or the wall and causing small explosions.

Keitaro was aware of one of the aliens holding him and Moe-Chan prisoner, a particularly frightening looking alien in white and gold with one particularly large cannon protruding from its mid-section as it swiveled away from them while the others closed in tighter around them.

'No…'

All at once Keitaro realized that machine had taken aim at Motoko as she cut down more of the enemies in her path. All at once, his eyes confirmed what could be her last moments as the large cannon on the alien began to glow green faintly. The enemy alien began to advance towards Motoko. Everything, every shared moment with him and her, and their informal family over the years, every triumph, argument, moment, misunderstanding and kind look seemed to permeate his being in that moment.

Moe-chan craned her neck with a faint grinding of gears as she noticed that Keitaro had took on a faint, but growing glow in that instant.

"MOTOKO-CHAN!" Keitaro yelled. He darted upwards into the air, straight up, his hands finding the large hammer that he had secured onto his belt the moment he was taken prisoner with Moe-Chan. Before he knew it, Keitaro was aglow in ki energy.

"SECRET TECHNIQUE URASHIMA INFERNAL HANDYMAN HAMMER!"

Keitaro brought down the hammer right into the central dome of the enemy alien; embedding the tool halfway into its head.

Then Keitaro was aware of heat; searing heat arching up from the hammer and into his arms as he instinctively launched himself off of the alien's body; leaving the hammer to sizzle there, then back over to Moe-Chan, picking her up, and then jumping up into the metal rafters of the control room.

'Amazing,' Motoko thought with deep admiration and surge of emotions for Keitaro. 'He has saved me once more!'

Motoko advanced towards the center of the room. The swords-woman cut down four more aliens, as she ran a part of her awareness noted the small injuries being sustained along the way from debris from the explosions but also the heat of the energy bolts she was just avoiding by mere centimeters, it that. The pressure suit's computer had long since ceased functioning as soon as it started taking sustained damage during the battle.

Suddenly, a kind of alarm sounded. An overhead screen changed to show in smaller screens the other ships in the alien fleet.

"THE OTHER SHIPS ARE UNDER ATTACK, THEY WILL EXTERMINATE THE ENEMY!"

'Big sister..!' Motoko thought in triumph.

Almost in response to the alien's chorus, the view screens showed one ship and then the other having purple and red lancing lights slicing into them, and then the ship's imploding in a storm of escaping pressure and debris.

'Must be the new fusion cannon Naru-san and Su-chan are so proud of," Motoko thought as she sent a ki blast to knock three aliens into the wall where they exploded.

"FLEET DESTROYED! FLEET DESTROYED! IMPOSSIBLE! WE ARE THE SUPERIOR BEINGS! ALL REMAINING FORCES TO THE CONTROL ROOM!"

'Good, they will all be in one place!' Motoko thought as she felt the burning singe of another near-hit from an energy bolt. 'Time to settle this.'

The room shook, causing more debris to fall clattering to the floor. She looked up, noted Keitaro and Moe-Chan were still safe in their place in the rafters. All she had to do now was draw every alien's fire to her until Tsuruko and the clan arrived.

"ESCAPE PROTOCOLS ENACTED! PREPARING EMERGENCY TRANSMAT VORTEX!"

Motoko dispatched another alien. That did not sound good. A brief flash of some of the memories the Doctor imparted to her also confirmed it. Unless that process could be stopped either by Tsuruko and SDF Tama-Sama or herself, then she was going to have to find some kind of method of escape from the ship with Keitaro and Moe-Chan.

Another violent jarring shook the control room again, almost knocking Motoko off her feet. She glanced up again, once again confirming Keitaro and Moe-Chan's temporary safety.

"TRANSMAT VORTEX PROCESS FAILED! ENEMY EARTHSHIP IS DISRUPTING PROCESS! WE HAVE BEEN BOARDED!"

Almost in response, another door opposite to the one Motoko had entered from, exploded. There was less smoke this time, the figures standing in the doorway were numerous, clearly brandishing katanas in their turtle-themed pressure suits. And…

'They brought their jingasas?' Motoko thought, not sure whether to laugh out loud or inwardly shake her head at Tsuruko's theatrics.

They had. The traditional, large hats worn while a samurai travelled were soon removed from the three dozen God's Cry School warriors as they dashed into the room, finding a waiting alien the hats soon were expertly thrown onto the swiveling heads.

"MY VISION IS IMPAIRED, I CANNOT SEE!" pleas filled the room as the remaining aliens were sliced down amid sizzling small explosions and noxious green ooze.

Finally, only one alien stood in the middle of a circle of glinting katanas. This one was different from the others; though it lacked the two large cannons on its mid-section. This one was prominently painted in black and white.

Motoko joined Tsuruko at the front of the circle. Motoko greeted her sister with a bow, which the older Aoyama returned.

"You have the right to finish this, Motoko."

"I will." Motoko nodded curtly. She took two steps forward as the alien continually swivelled back and forth.

"WE CANNOT BE DEFEATED, THE SUPERIOR BEINGS, WE MUST OBSERVE AND REPORT, OBSERVE AND REPORT FOR VICTORY!"

"You will surrender, or be destroyed like your comrades," Motoko spoke clearly, "there are none of you left."

Silence.

"I **know** you have a shred of a whisper of something called **mercy** in there," Motoko raised her voice. "Know that I am offering it to you now!"

One swivel to the left, two to the right, then: "TIME CONTROLLER EMERGENCY VORTEX TRANSMAT ACTIVATED! OBSERVE AND REPORT! OBSERVE AND REPORT!"

In a blinding flash of light, the black and white metal alien was completely gone. As if it never was there.

The chamber was silent then.

Tsuruko silently walked up next to Motoko. "It would seem it has returned to wherever they came from."

"Yes." Motoko nodded numbly.

"Motoko dear?"

"Yes?"

"Mercy? Those **things**?" Tsuruko asked incredulously.

Motoko slowly nodded in the affirmative. Then she felt her legs suddenly turn to jelly, and her knees slowly buckled. Soon she was kneeling in the floor in Tsuruko's arms, fully conscious, but feeling the strain and fatigue her entire body and spirit radiated. "I used the Holy Three, big sister… so much ki energy, I am completely exhausted… please bring Kei-kun down here before I pass out-"

Before Tsuruko could even turn her head, there was Keitaro and Moe-chan right there next to Motoko, hugging her.

"I-I **knew** you'd come for us, Motoko-chan." Keitaro sobbed. Moe-Chan smiled silently, holding Motoko's hand.

"Least I could do, Kei-kun..." Motoko smiled at them both, then her head lulled forward as she entered unconsciousness.

Keitaro's panicked eyes met Tsuruko. "Do not worry, Keitaro-san. She is simply exhausted, and in need of rest." She gave Keitaro a look. "Keitaro-san, you require medical attention as well!"

"I do?" Keitaro blinked. He hardly felt anything.

"You're bleeding from your arm and you have a large bump on your head."

 **Now** Keitaro felt it. "Ow..."

"Healers!" Tsuruko called out as she sheathed her katana with a slight wince as she flexed her right wrist. Cutting those aliens into exact circular sections had been harder than she thought, but she admired the artistry involved. She glanced around as she gave the order for the clan warriors to stand down, but remain wary as they began evacuation operations. This incident would certainly live in the legends of the God's Cry School for as long as time itself, but as she Tsuruko looked at the floor, she noted the severed dome of one of the aliens, and the green slime that seeped from it.

'This is not the end,' Tsuruko thought as she watched the medics tending to Keitaro and looking at Moe-Chan with amazement as the automaton girl stayed close to Keitaro and Motoko.

000

Friday April 7TH, 2009

Kyoto City, Kyoto

From the Asahi Shinbun newspaper (national)…

KYOTO – FRIDAY, APRIL 7TH, 2009… The national government and the prefectural government have announced that the large space vessel SDF Tama-Sama currently floating in Lake Biwa will be moved within the next two weeks. Local, national, and international partners are working closely with the Mol-Mol kingdom and the Mol-Mol state run corporation Su-Narusegawa laboratories to find the most expedient way to operate the vessel under its own power again or, failing that, prepare it to be towed out of the lake. City officials assure residents and the public at large that this matter is being handled with the utmost delicacy while also allowing government investigators to work. The area surrounding Lake Biwa will continue to be closed up to one kilometer in all directions except for residents and those with government clearance.

Police Chief Honda, at a pre-dawn press conference firmly reiterated that the best thing for the public to do is to remain calm. "Indeed, these are most extraordinary times we are experiencing not just as a city, but as a people and, yes, a species. It is vitally important that the public calmly go about their business as best they can while remaining abreast of the latest information. Again, I repeat what the Prime Minister's office has told us is that the threat has been neutralized, and that the aliens have all been destroyed. Currently, we need the public's cooperation in allowing our staff to work with our local and international partners to ensure that there is no remaining threat."

From the Shinsei Mimpo (Kanagawa)…

HINATA CITY – FRIDAY, APRIL 7TH, 2009… The Department of Sanitation has put those served by the Hinata Water Utility on a boil water notice until further investigations have been completed. Mayor Matsuda announced this morning that the water supply has potentially been compromised due to the catastrophic diverting of the flow of the Hinata River after the alien space fleet, which had apparently been contained beneath the Hinata Inn, Tea House, and Hot Springs, took flight taking an area approximately five square kilometers with it and leaving a depression in the side of Hinata mountain that government geologists are still attempting to sound for structural integrity. Current estimates seem to indicate the depression to range between 85 meters to 176 meters deep. The Mayor also announced that gas lines and electricity in the Hinata Mountain and River wards have been cut until safety can be ensured. Hinata Police Chief Kamura has also declared the entire affected area to be off-limits while workers attempt to stop the waters from the Hinata River filling the crater.

NHK EVENING NEWS (website lead story excerpt, same day)

...unnamed sources have reported to NHK under the conditions of strict anonymity that the heroes of what is being called the "Battle of Pepperpot Point" have quietly returned to the remote God's Cry Kendo School in the mountains outside of Kyoto City. The government, acting in concert with United States and Mol-Mol allies have made it expressly clear that the media will be contacted when the principles involved have recovered, been debriefed, and most importantly when **they** are ready to speak about their experiences...

000

Motoko opened one eye, attempted to open the other and was greeted with a dull, throbbing pain in the left side of her eye socket. After some effort, she achieved opening both eyes. She found herself in her room, at her family's compound in Kyoto, resting in a hospital bed that had been placed in there. From the look of the purple, gray sky out the windows, it was early evening. She was aware of a few beeps from small medical monitors around her, she could feel the occasional bandage that dotted her arms, legs, and forehead. She also felt that her arm was cold.

'But my hand is warm,' she thought. 'Is it connected to an instrument or some kind of monitor?'

She turned her head and looked where her arm was cold, and smiled.

'Kei-kun!' she thought as she saw that her hand was lightly touching his. Motoko looked closer to try and determine his condition as he slept soundly in the bed beside her. He had a bandage across the top of his head just above his left eye, and another on his cheek. Her eyes traveled down, his right arm was also bandaged up, but it was clear it was not a cast. And to further dispel any worry his arm might have been broken, Keitaro stirred in his sleep and moved the arm enough to signal to Motoko's satisfaction that there were no broken bones.

"So, you are awake, little sister." Tsuruko's voice issued from across the room, behind her.

Motoko started to raise herself up.

"Ah! Do not strain yourself, Motoko." Tsuruko now stood beside the bed, with that coy little smile on her face.

Motoko tried to speak, but found that her throat was too dry. Still, she tried and Tsuruko was greeted with something that sounded akin to a frog struggling with a bad cold.

"Here." Tsuruko handed Motoko a cup of water with a cap on it and a straw.

Motoko gratefully accepted, and through the pain of a dry throat she drank every last drop of the water. She handed the cup back to Tsuruko.

"… how many did we lose?" Motoko steeled herself for the losses of friends and associates.

"None!" Tsuruko replied pleasantly.

"None?" Motoko's mouth gaped open at such joyous news.

"Certainly, there were many injuries, some of them significant, but nothing life threatening, and everyone will make a full recovery given enough time." Tsuruko sipped her tea.

"And Ke-Urashima-san? Moe-chan?"

Tsuruko favored her little sister with a look and a small smile. "Now, now, no need for that anymore, sister dear. Rest assured, he is fine, but the doctors thought he should still be on a slow-drip sedative and also liquid-based nourishment for another several hours to allow him to rest. They discovered that he was beginning to show the early signs of malnourishment along with exhaustion. Obviously, has not been looking after himself prior to… this. Moe-chan is currently in Naru-san and Su-chan's temporary workshop in the main garage… she is operating, but not communicating in any way save looking around. Naru-san and Su-chan said that the doll is in perfect working order as far as they can tell; they just have no idea how long she will operate or quite **how** she works."

Motoko mentally noted to look carefully after Keitaro's nutrition when he was up and about. She smiled a bit, happy. Good news all around, more than she could have ever have dreamed of hardly more than thirty-six hours ago. She closed her eyes again, thanking the kami and her ancestors; this was truly one of the best days of her life.

"Yes, I suppose it is time to drop formalities between friends and family," Motoko said after a while.

"Oh, I do not mean that," Tsuruko said. "You simply do not have a choice any longer."

"What do you mean, sister?" Motoko asked, studying the older woman next to her wearing a coy smile as she delicately enjoyed her tea. Then, suddenly Motoko blinked as a quick chill ran down her spine. "… do not tell me you had us married after I lost consciousness-"

Tsuruko laughed. "Me do that? Perish the thought!"

Motoko shot her a withering look.

"Even if I thought of giving you two a little push in the right direction, in this case I had no part in it at all."

Motoko frowned, puzzled.

"Recall those communications you sent from that turtle space fighter?"

"Yes..." Motoko replied, shuddering briefly as she recalled the turtle décor.

"And that blinking turtle shaped dome on top of the pressure suit helmet?"

"Yes, I remember that." Motoko said, fighting back a small shudder at the memory of putting on a helmet with a turtle shaped dome on it.

Tsuruko smiled. "Every communication you sent and replied to was automatically relayed back to Earth on all channels and frequencies. That dome on the pressure suit helmet was also a camera and audio recording device and transmitter as well. Even though you took care to remove the helmet and secure it to the pressure suit's belt."

Motoko blinked, she could practically feel the sweat forming on her brow. "But I destroyed that ship!"

Tsuruko shrugged. "Naru-san and Su-san tell me when their ship's self-destruct they send out a log buoy and transmission relay linked to the pressure suit recorder."

Motoko attempted to digest what she had just been told. "… so, so everyone heard… and saw, everything?"

Tsuruko nodded.

"What now?"

Tsuruko shrugged. "You two are now worldwide heroes… and the clan is now dealing with much more public attention and scrutiny than we ever thought possible. And this on top of the investigation of the metal alien threat-"

"Daleks," Motoko stated.

"Excuse me?" Tsuruko blinked.

"They call themselves Daleks."

Tsuruko shrugged. "I suppose you would know," she sighed, "Motoko-han you and Keitaro-san will be answering a **lot** of questions very soon."

Motoko sighed, "yes, I know. I just hope to be able to shield Kei-kun as best I can," she closed her eyes, collecting herself again: "Just so I know what to expect; was anything confiscated?"

"I was unable to prevent the confiscation of your mobile phones and Keitaro-san's hammer." Tsuruko replied.

"… the Hina blade?"

"I had to make a choice what to prevent the government agents from seizing," Tsuruko nodded downward, "it is within reach, just under your bed."

"Thank you," Motoko replied. "How much trouble are we in?"

"Aunt Kaede ordered the school closed, the students sent home until things settle down." Tsuruko set her now empty cup of tea on the medical cart. "According to our new Public Relations Director, there are three governments waiting to debrief us, the R and D team at Narusegawa and Su Laboratories led by Kentaro Sakata, media requests that number in the thousands, and yes friends and family have had to be told, quite pointedly, not to travel here to see you two until they are told they can. And that's not too mention the marriage proposals-"

Motoko hand instinctively squeezed Keitaro's hand. 'One thing at a time,' Motoko told herself.

"Public Relations Director?" Motoko asked. That was one of her duties as junior legal counsel.

Tsuruko gave Motoko a look. "She actually spent the money to charter a helicopter to get up here from Tokyo as quickly as possible."

Motoko's eyes widened. "Kitsune?!"

"She took a leave of absence from her job, and her and Maehara-san practically scaled the outside wall to get in to see you and Keitaro-san." Tsuruko smiled. "Aunt Kaede, mother and I decided not to look two such gift horses in the mouth and truth be told; we desperately need the help of those we can trust right now."

"Kei-kun's parents?"

"In the guest house, along with Shinobu-san and Konno-san." Tsuruko refilled Motoko's water cup, and handed it to her.

Motoko again drank the water down almost at once. "What is Kitsune's price for this story?" She smiled thinly.

"Nothing, save room and board."

Motoko looked at her older sister like she had just sprouted unicorn horns. "Nothing?"

"She said it was a gift." Tsuruko replied.

Keitaro stirred again in his drugged sleep, mumbling something, then settled down. Motoko smiled, blushing as she squeezed his hand.

After a moment, she turned her attention back to Tsuruko. "He stays here; with me."

"Oh, I already made the arrangements," Tsuruko waved her hand. "Keitaro-san is an Aoyama family guest as long as he wishes it. Indeed, it might be a long while considering what has happened to the Hinata Inn."

"Nothing left?" Motoko asked.

"Not even that old annex on the mountain, Haruka-san's wonderful tea shop, or the stone staircase." Tsuruko shook her head sadly. "So fortunate Haruka-san and Seta-san were away for a small vacation during this after seeing Sara-chan off to Hawaii." Tsuruko then turned a serious gaze to Motoko. "Now, little sister, before anyone else asks you… just what the hell happened? And why are these things called Daleks?"

Motoko related to Tsuruko exactly what happened when she met the Doctor's holographic projection outside her rooms, the same rooms they were in now. Motoko carefully also told what she saw in the memories the Doctor showed her. Once she was done speaking after almost an hour, she noted that Tsuruko eyes never left her own. For several long moments there was only silence between the sisters, only broken by the low beeps of some of the medical equipment and Keitaro's peaceful, exhausted slumber.

Finally, Tsuruko spoke: "Motoko-han, I love you, but forgive me if you had told me what you had just said **without** the accompanying events that we all experienced, I would be making arrangements for you to undergo an extensive psychiatric examination immediately."

"What happened to an exorcism and purification?" Motoko asked wryly.

"That would come after."

"It is real," Motoko said, "he was real… the Doctor."

"It seems he wanted to help," Tsuruko commented, still incredulous at Motoko's experience.

"He said that's what he tries to do," Motoko said, "'I'm the Doctor; I save people.'"

"Well, given what he showed you, you were able to certainly accomplish that, dear sister." Tsuruko smiled. She rose slowly, "you should get some more rest before the doctor stops Keitaro's sedative, then his parents will be here with you when he wakes up." Tsuruko reached down and squeezed her sister's shoulder.

The hand lingered there for a moment, Motoko's attention was drawn to the cast Tsuruko wore around her wrist, then up to her sister's face. Tsuruko sighed, her voice lowering: "I have to warn you, Motoko, it is possible that it will be best never to reveal your communication with this Doctor to anyone else; except Keitaro-san, of course."

"But-!"

"Shh," Tsuruko soothed. "There will be time for decisions later. For now, rest. And not a word to anyone about this until we speak again."

Motoko smiled at Tsuruko, already feeling the gentle tug of slumber. After Tsuruko quietly exited her room, Motoko settled down into the hospital bed again, gazing at the familiar wooden beams of her ceiling. Then she looked over to Keitaro, still sleeping the sleep of the mighty, and she squeezed his hand again. Soon, as the dim light of evening outside gave way to night, Motoko started to prepare her mind for sleep….

000

April 8th… God's Cry School of Kendo - Kyoto Prefecture

Motoko and Tsuruko sat on the porch outside of Motoko's rooms, looking out at the garden in the early morning air in almost the exact same spot she had first encountered The Doctor not much more than two days before.

"Motoko-han, I have not spoken to anyone about this, but I have meditated on this all night," Tsuruko said quietly.

Motoko waited.

"I do not believe you should ever reveal what you told me. This should be the last time we ever speak of it. Indeed, after you tell Keitaro-san, I believe you should swear him to secrecy as well." Tsuruko gazed out at the garden. Her expression changed briefly. "I recall what the American Benjamin Franklin said about secrets: 'Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead.' Obviously, we have nothing to fear from **ourselves** but what you experienced must not travel further."

Motoko nodded. "You fear me being taken in for interrogation, or worse committed for insanity." Indeed, it had been something she herself had begun to worry about as she mentally steeled herself for the inevitable questions to come.

"I do." Tsuruko affirmed. "I cannot allow that to happen. For the sake of the world, the dojo, the family, and Keitaro-san, of course."

"Very well." Motoko swallowed. It was going to be difficult.

"Any information you have, you will have to think carefully about how you reveal it," Tsuruko continued, "I do not even want to know if it is from what **he** showed you or just fortunate conjecture on your part."

"I understand, sister."

Tsuruko sighed, "and while you **did** save the world, you really should know that what you did was foolish and reckless. "

"I did what I had to."

"You should have waited for me and the clan."

"And risk Keitaro and Moe-Chan?" Motoko asked, then shook her head once she realized no answer was forthcoming from her sister. "I knew I had to act fast to prevent them from hurting one or the other. I knew their ship was also readying to send those damn tin pots down to Earth. I felt that one of the small space fighters Naru and Su had made would be small enough to get close enough that they might think it was some kind of emissary to attempt some kind of parlay. I just needed to get my foot in the door, so to speak. Once I could get to their flagship, I knew I could use the Holy Three to get in there."

Tsuruko simply favored her younger sister with a glare. "You know full well the Holy Three have not been successfully accomplished for over two hundred years! The last one to even attempt was Aunt Kaede's fiance; and his death still haunts her every breath. Indeed, be thankful it is **me** speaking to you about this; I doubt our aunt would have left here without challenging you to a duel for such rash behavior! If your calculations had been off by almost nothing, and if your ki had not been anything less than perfect, then you would have perished, little sister."

"If had waited for you and the clan and ventured out there on SDF Tama-Sama the only way through the flagship's shields would have been by Su's fusion cannon," Motoko said evenly. "That ship would not have survived such a direct attack; and Keitaro and Moe-Chan would be **dead**. The Holy Three was made by our ancestors for such desperate rescues-"

"The Holy Three was developed as a means to attempt rescue of those stranded by lava flows and in earthquakes," Tsuruko cut Motoko off. "It was never intended to be used in *space* against *aliens* and it has *killed* more than it has saved here on Earth during its entire history! You did not even stop to hear or offer any ideas of your own once you arrived at the laboratory," Tsuruko shout-whispered. "You simply went off for honor and glory on your own!"

Motoko gritted her teeth. "It was not like that! If I had delayed they would have begun torturing them to force a surrender."

Tsuruko was silent for a moment. "They would have survived, possibly long enough for us to devise a way to board their ship in a safer manner than **your** idea."

"Then again, they might **not** have!" Motoko was almost shouting now. "Those aliens were hardly the types to be trusted to negotiate in good faith." Motoko constantly told herself not to use 'the D word.'

It was then the door to the porch slide open, revealing Naru, dressed in her usual white lab coat and business casual khakis, white blouse, and large thick eye glasses while working. She looked from one Aoyama sister to the other, then bowed formally. "Sorry to interrupt, Tsuruko-san, but the doctor is about to wake up Keitaro."

Tsuruko sighed. "My sister will be there presently, Narusegawa-san." Tsuruko rose, lightly touched her little sister on the shoulder. She waited to confirm that Naru had excused herself from the doorway. "Mother, Father, Aunt Kaede, agree that this is the only word you shall hear about this part of the incident."

Motoko looked up. "So they had **you** be the disciplinarian **again.** How typical of them."

Tsuruko looked down at her sister, then shook her head. "Please give my warmest regards to Keitaro-san and Moe-Chan and tell them I will visit them soon."

Motoko nodded. After Tsuruko had left, Motoko gingerly, but gracefully got to her feet without any need for reaching for any assistance. She went inside, once she slide the door closed she looked up to see Naru in the hallway, waiting.

"Tsuruko-san not coming to see Keitaro?"

"My sister does not wish to strain him with too many visitors at once." Motoko replied.

Naru nodded. "Probably a good idea."

The two former dorm-mates and Tokyo U students regarded each other for a moment.

"Look..." Naru started, she looked down at the polished wooden floor.

"… it is fine, Naru-san, really."

Naru looked up. "Motoko, you've paid your debt to him. Don't make him think there's anything more to it unless there really is."

Motoko was silent for a moment, then a dull surge of anger from the past reared its head. "… quite a thing to hear from you about Keitaro-san, Narusegawa."

"Mutsumi and I already admitted our mistakes and apologized to him **years** ago, Motoko." Naru raised her voice just a bit. "I just don't want Kei-kun to get hurt any more than he has to."

Motoko sighed. "I thank you for your concern, old friend-"

"Hey, I'm not old!" Naru shot back.

"- but Kei-kun and I have not even discussed anything beyond what is currently being rebroadcast on every news channel the world over!" Motoko raised her hand gracefully over herself to indicate said world.

Naru blushed, chuckling nervously. "Ah, yeah… ha-ha… sorry about that part, but you really should not have taken that space fighter and pressure suit without first asking a few questions about the integrated comm system."

"You may send me a full and detailed invoice," Motoko stated evenly in what Tsuruko called 'her lawyer voice.'

"Oh, we did," Naru smirked. "But don't worry about your dojo's finances; the American's agreed to pay the bill."

"Thank the kami for international cooperation," Motoko bowed to Naru. "Now, let's wake up the sleepy-head!"

Naru nodded, smiling.

000

"How you feelin' big brother?" Su asked as Keitaro raised himself groggily up in his hospital bed.

"I've never been better," Keitaro chuckled, then coughed until Kitsune handed him a cup of water, while giving him a gentle hug, patting him on the back.

Motoko was opposite Kitsune, clasping Keitaro's hand in one hand, and the Hina blade in its scabbard at her side in the other.

Keitaro sipped the water, "thanks, Kitsune."

Naru patted Keitaro's forearm next to Kitsune, she smiled. "Hey idiot, seems you always find trouble." Naru winked.

"At least I didn't almost blow a hole through the Earth trying to get usable antimatter." Keitaro retorted.

"Hey!" Naru said in indignation. "That was classified!"

"Send Su-chan some bananas Mutsumi and her husband drop off," Keitaro shrugged with a grin, "she texts every time."

Everyone laughed. "Where's Moe-Chan?" Keitaro asked.

"Resting!" Su answered.

Keitaro nodded.

"At her own request," Naru supplied. "I'll never get used to how she communicates out-loud when she chooses to."

Hitomi and Shiro Urashima embraced their son. Despite the friction that had precipitated Keitaro's first arrival at the Hinata Inn, in the years since he had made certain to keep his parents updated on his life and on good terms.

"Son, we're so proud of you," Hitomi gushed.

"You're a celebrity now!" Shiro chuckled. "You'll have to make one of your cakes again, so we can put it in the bakery's window. Everyone's asking about you."

Keitaro gave an incredulous shrug, glanced up at Motoko. "A celebrity? All I did was get myself in trouble, as usual."

"If that is what you call saving my life," Motoko patted Keitaro's shoulder.

Keitaro blushed, "I-I-I had to, Motoko-chan. I'm sorry if I put Moe-Chan and you in danger."

"You have no need to apologize for anything ever again, Kei-kun." Motoko said with such emotion in her voice that everyone around the bed stopped to look at the shared hand to shoulder contact between the two.

"Okay..." Keitaro said, he blushed.

Kitsune cleared her throat. "But they are right, Kei baby." She handed him a picture.

Keitaro studied the picture. He blinked. Then blinked again.

The picture was one that Kitsune had printed off the internet. It was a picture of Keitaro, back on the alien ship, with him glowing in a blue energy aura as he drove his hammer into the dome of the alien with the large gun. Below the action shown in the picture was a caption written large bold faced white font: "YOU DON'T FUCK WITH THE KARINNIN!"

Keitaro looked around at everyone. "The whole world saw?"

Motoko nodded. "They did."

"Oh, wow… " Keitaro looked up at the ceiling. "I mean, what the hell." He simply did not know quite how to process this turn of events.

"Don't you worry, Kei sweetie," Kitsune drawled, "I'm going to be you and Motoko-chan's press agent for interviews."

"Interviews?" Keitaro gulped.

"The requests number in the tens of thousands now," Kitsune confirmed.

"T-tens of thousands?" Keitaro sputtered, then coughed.

"We are not doing any interviews for the time being," Motoko cut in. "We will issue a joint written public statement and we will answer questions from the authorities together but that is it."

Keitaro sighed. This was all so different from what he was doing last week, seeing Sara off on her vacation and preparing for the renovations at the Hinata. "Is there anything left of the Hinata?"

Everyone shook their head sadly.

"I figured not," Keitaro looked down. "And I just put down a non-refundable deposit with the contractor to begin work on the annex."

"Do not worry about money," Motoko said," the world community is helping with financing the rebuilding of the Hinata."

"Oui Oui Big Brother!" Kaolla said in exaggerated French, "compliments of the people of France!"

Keitaro chuckled. "Did they send Shinobu-chan some baguettes, wine and cheese?"

"No..." Shinobu thought for a moment, "but I'm sure they would. Kitsune?"

In a flash Kitsune had her mobile phone out of her pocket and was making a note, "done!"

"Hey," Keitaro held up his hands, "it was just a joke."

"Now, now, sugar," Kitsune smirked. "Anything you want, hero-sama." She winked.

Keitaro shook his head, "I just can't believe what has happened. So where's everyone else?"

"Seta and Haruka are staying at the beach cafe," Hitomi said. "Sara is on the way back from Hawaii right now."

Motoko frowned briefly, but hid it well. She was planning on making efforts to speak to Sara directly and privately when the opportunity arose. Given Keitaro's state of health prior to the Dalek's kidnapping him and Moe-Chan, Sara was the last person with extended contact with Keitaro on a daily basis to shed some light on why he was neglecting himself. Haruka and Seta were, to put it nicely, each consumed with their own careers and it was all too easy to separate what happened at the Tea House from what happened at the Inn.

'And if she knew, why did she not tell anyone?' Motoko thought bitterly.

"Kanako and Tamura are watching the bakery," Shirou shrugged, "though when I talked to them this morning it seems everyone who is not a regular customer is some nosy reporter."

"Ah!" Kitsune interjected, "we're not nosy; just objective pursuers of the truth!"

"And money." Naru commented.

"And sake," Motoko added.

"All the good things in life!" Kitsune laughed.

Keitaro chuckled, then thought, 'wait, Kanako and Tamura working the bakery together…'

"Dad?" Keitaro broke the happy banter. "You already told Kanako and Tamura not to talk, right?"

"Oh yeah," Shiro sighed, "that was the first thing we told them."

"Your room is locked up tight, too," Hitomi reassured her son, "and the blinds drawn." She frowned, "Kuro-chan was told to behave, too."

Keitaro nodded, not needing to go any further with the discussion of Kanako and her husband, Tamura. It was a story known to everyone assembled around Keitaro's bed. Some months after Granny Hina's funeral, Kanako was walking in a secluded park along Lake Biwa with her cat Kuro when a man walked by going in the opposite direction, and stopped in his tracks as he noted the conversations between Kanako and her familiar. Almost at the same moment, recognition passed between the two walkers. The man was Tamura Katsuhara, the assistant funeral director and mortician of the funeral parlor that had handled Granny Hina's final arrangements, memorial service, and cremation. It was not long before Kanako had found her soul-mate; a man who favored black as much as her, and also loved cats who talked back. The witchcraft was a bonus, of course. They had ample money to strike out on their own after the wedding and honeymoon but Tamura was ambitious; intent on saving money to open up his own funeral parlor, so in order to save said money Tamura and Kanako still lived at home with the Urashima's.

'And my old room is filled to the brim with embalming fluid, texts on what happens to the body after death, a sample casket, and all sorts of stuff outside of bad horror movies,' Keitaro thought miserably. It would have been so much easier to feel resentment if Tamura was anything less than a polite, caring gentleman as befitting his profession and if the love of him and Kanako burned any less bright, or less gothic, than the cremation furnace.

Motoko watched Keitaro's face from the side, fairly accurately guessing the direction of his thoughts. She looked over to Hitomi and Shiro, "Keitaro-san is an Aoyama family guest as long as he wishes it." Motoko stated formally, and bowed.

Keitaro's parents each in unison returned the bow. "We thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Aoyama-san."

"Thank you, Motoko-chan," Keitaro said, he smiled. "I don't feel like sleeping in a casket, or on that old couch in the living room Kanako set on fire when she was ten."

Motoko blinked, "I never heard that story..."

"It's Kanako-chan," Naru sighed, rubbing her temples, "what do you expect?"

"Oh that!" Hitomi chuckled, her hand scratching the back of her head in nervousness, not unlike Keitaro in similar situations. "It was just a little singed!"

"Yes, her fire fascination phase," Shiro said, recalling. "I still owe you a chemistry set, son."

"Well, you may submit the proposal in writing to my lawyer," he nodded over to Motoko, "and my press agent," he then nodded over to Kitsune, he then started laughing (and everyone else joined in, especially his parents) until he started coughing again.

"Here," Motoko handed Keitaro another cup of water.

"Thanks, Motoko-chan," he looked around. "Is Mutsumi-chan okay?"

Naru nodded, "she and her husband are laying low in Okinawa at her parents. Mutsumi-chan is just waiting for the okay to come and visit, Keitaro."

'As always with those two girls; thick as thieves,' Motoko thought with a hint of bitterness.

"So..." Keitaro seemed to struggle to find words for a moment, "what the hell really just happened?"

A quiet knock on the screen to the room sounded, "hello hello," Tsuruko's pleasant voice came from the other side.

Motoko silently went to slide open the door. When she slid it open she saw Tsuruko with Moe-Chan at her side. Motoko's eyes met her sisters'.

"Moe-Chan came and found me and demanded I be here for what she has to say," Tsuruko said by way of explanation.

The Aoyama sisters led the automaton to Keitaro's bed side, and everyone watched as the doll took Keitaro's hand.

"Moe-Chan! I told you Motoko-chan would save us," Keitaro blinked back the tears forming in his eyes.

The automaton girl opened her mouth just a bit. The sound of gears could be heard. Both Su and Naru looked on in continuing fascination at how the doll operated. "Kei-kun! I choose this moment to summon Tsuruko-sama; the moment I **knew** you'd ask this question."

"Ooo-kay," Keitaro nodded slowly, obviously not having any idea how Moe-Chan could know what he was asking.

A small smile from Moe-Chan: "Your ki aura; I can sense strong feelings from it."

"Yes, please tell us how you do that, Moe-Chan!" Su tittered excitedly, hopping up and down.

Naru placed a firm arm on Su's shoulder, forcing the younger Mol-Mol woman to settle down. "Inside manners, Su-chan." Naru reminded.

A brighter smile from Moe-Chan. "It is the purpose for which I was granted consciousness; to serve the Urashima clan and protect and seal away those 'aliens.'"

"Those metal things," Keitaro said.

"They refer to themselves as Daleks," Moe-Chan continued, "and they call their home Skaro. They are not from our time or universe."

'Well, that is one weight off my shoulder,' Motoko thought. 'And sister now knows where they come from in their universe.'

"How do you know this?" Keitaro rubbed his forehead.

"I became operational and conscious on that day when Keisuke and his friend Daisuke Aoyama were attacked by the Daleks that tried to kidnap you," Moe-Chan continued, "they came to this planet to collect a Urashima for their regeneration energies."

'Regeneration… Daleks…' Motoko thought, almost hearing many different voices than her own.

"... what?" Keitaro asked incredulously.

"I will recount my first memories," Moe-Chan said in a monotone. "I became aware of the fires. So many flames, I can see I am in a cavern. Then I can see, and think, and *feel* for the first time. I see Daisuke standing in front of me, and then I feel Keisuke's hand on my shoulder. Keisuke asks Daisuke if the incantation worked, and Daisuke replies that it did. Daisuke then kneels down in front of me, and tells me what my purpose is; to focus the ki energies of those in residence of the Hinata property of Urashima and Aoyama descent, and act as a seal against the Daleks breaking out of the dormancy cycle deep in the cave where Daisuke and Keisuke had trapped them."

All eyes, save Keitaro and Moe-Chan were on Motoko and Tsuruko.

"Motoko hon, is this true? Daisuke Aoyama?" Kitsune asked.

"It is," Motoko nodded.

"Our great grand uncle Daisuke," Tsuruko said, "I recall it mentioned in the clan chronicle that he attended Tokyo Imperial University in the early thirties."

"As did great grandfather Keisuke," Keitaro stated. "Kami… what was hiding down there all this time?"

"And why did your great grandfather not kill them when he had the chance?" Naru asked.

Tsuruko and Motoko gave Naru a pained look. "One God's Cry School practitioner, and Granny Hina's father against a fleet of aliens?" Tsuruko chuckled dryly. "Narusegawa-sensei made a funny, class."

Naru glared at Tsuruko.

"It was likely an amazing feat of skill and luck for great granduncle Daisuke and Keisuke-sama to have accomplished what they did." Motoko commented.

"Then why didn't he inform the authorities after he sealed them in a dormancy state underneath Mt. Hinata?" Naru asked.

"For very good reasons," Tsuruko replied.

"The Imperial military government at the time would likely have attempted to discover the secrets of the Daleks' weaponry and how to use them for military purposes." Motoko added, darkly.

Naru nodded silently, mentally considering the many potential disasters that could have befallen the world from such an event.

"At that time, the God's Cry School was in a precarious state of affairs owing to many members of the clan being on record as being less than enthusiastic about the military government's overseas territorial ambitions." Motoko stated for the benefit of everyone else in the room. "In fact, during the war itself some of our ancestors and relations spent time in prison for being 'radical subversives' in the opinion of the government. Which, we are told, actually meant that the government wanted to lock up practitioners of the ki arts who might not simply follow orders and blindly support the war effort."

"But… Moe-chan, why were you there on that particular day? I know great grandfather purchased you from the University, but why were out and about with them when the aliens attacked" Keitaro asked.

"I believe that Keisuke simply wanted to show me off to his old friend." Moe-Chan stated in a flat monotone.

"It would have been very easy for granduncle Daisuke to realize how extraordinary you are, Moe-Chan," Tsuruko smiled.

The bare hints on a small smile appeared on Moe-Chan's lips. "I have no memories before that day; so it is with great happiness that I remember Keisuke, Daisuke, even if it was not the best day for them." Moe-Chan then patted Keitaro's hand. "That was also the day Keisuke promised to fix my legs."

Keitaro smiled, bittersweet tears forming in his eyes. "I'm so sorry he forgot his promise, it should not-"

"Shhh," Moe-Chan soothed. "You kept his promise."

Keitaro nodded, smiling.

"So there was a cave network underneath the old annex all this time and Sara and Shinobu-chan and I never found it? Incredible!" Su exclaimed.

"It… certainly was not from a lack of trying," Shinobu said, recalling all the times Su and Sara had dragged her off from one chore or another around the Hinata to go exploring.

"Now that we're on the topic," Shiro coughed, "I recall grandmother mentioning her father discovering some caverns when he was having a second well dug sometime back in the twenties. She said her father thought it might have been some old sealed off coal mine tunnels."

"Those creepy tin pots could have been down there for a very long time," Su mused. "From what I remember Kay-taro telling us, the land had been in the family since the nineteenth century."

Keitaro nodded. "Yeah…"

"The Daleks had just arrived on this world when they began their attack," Moe-Chan said sadly. "They will not hesitate to do so again when they come back."

"If they come back, you mean, Moe-chan. Motoko, Keitaro, Tsuruko, and the whole school here certainly gave those salt and pepper shakers something to think about. " Naru said, then looked up when everyone favored her with silent glares.

"What?" Naru asked. "It's not like what they threw at us was easy to deal with!"

"I agree, Naru-san," Motoko spoke slowly, "but I doubt any alien that bellows out 'observe and report,' and 'exterminate' every other word would not be tempted to at last try again to invade."

"Espec-especially since they said they wanted a Urashima…" Shinobu offered shyly.

"Popular boy you are this week," Kitsune patted Keitaro on the shoulder with a wink.

"I just can't believe they'd want me for their sick little experiments!" Keitaro shook is head in flustration. "Why me?"

"Easy-peasy!" Su held up a tablet. On its screen was a diagram of a family tree, the information on it clearly identified it as showing the Urashima family. The individual branches and lines, however, glowed with varying colors and brightness. Two points seemed to converge and be illuminated the most, that of Keisuke Urashima then Granny Hina, and then finally Keitaro. Su held up another tablet, this one showing the Aoyama family tree. The same story was repeated there with three strong convergences of lines and brightness around the branches containing Daisuke, Tsuruko, and Motoko.

"Your ki energies are focused on protection and survival; thus your injury regeneration ability make you IMMORTAL KAY-TARO!," Su now put down the tablets on the bed and used her hands to indicate the points she was making. "Motoko and Tsuruko's family use their ki energies for a different purpose; mostly attack and sealing away evil spirits!"

"As Keisuke and Daisuke overheard the Dalek's saying; if they could harness the regeneration ki powers, then they would become even more resilient in battle," Moe-Chan added. "And if they could also harness the ki powers used by the Aoyama clan-"

"They'd be unstoppable, literally," Hitomi shuddered. She recalled the absolute horror with which she, Keitaro's father, Kanoko and Tamura watched Motoko and Tsuruko's rescue of her son and Moe-Chan from the Dalek ship, televised for all humanity to see in their living room. Everytime she thought to look away, or turn off the television, she kept telling herself if this was to be her son's final moments, then in the absence of her attempting to save him herself or at least being there with him, the Urashima family agreed to at least witness what was happening. The family probably cried and cheered themselves hoarse as it hit home that Keitaro, Moe-Chan, and indeed the whole Earth was saved due to Keitaro's successfully received text for help to Motoko.

"Su-chan, Naru-chan," Keitaro asked. "What could be done to be prepared if these Daleks come back?"

Naru thought for a moment. "Well, Kentaro and his team are busy going over the telemetry from SDF Tama-Chan… and the Space Fighter Motoko blew to pieces to see what can be learned from the data about what those things really are, but we have to wait until the government gives back yours and Motoko's phones along with what survives of the alien's bodies-or what passes for them." The auburn-haired scientist eyed Tsuruko then. "Why did you order the rest of the ship destroyed, Tsuruko-san?"

Tsuruko laughed. "If you need to seriously ask such a silly question; I will give you an answer befitting it. Let's just say, for the record, I just wanted to play with your fusion cannon and watch the rest of that piece of scrap burn before we returned home."

"Unofficially," Motoko clarified, "not a good idea to just leave a hostile alien ship sitting in orbit. Or even on the surface, even if it could be placed in an allegedly 'secure location.' We will have to learn all we can with what we have."

"The cool swords Motoko and Tsuruko nee-san's friends have with the green glop on them would be neat to examine," Su smiled. "The MolMol Science Ministry is working with the American's to get your government to release those too."

"What could possibly be learned from all that?" Shirou wondered.

"Potentially quite a lot, Urashima-san," Naru smiled. "A good sample or two of the chemical, molecular, and organic compound that makes up the Dalek's could yield us-quite possibly-some method of early detection if they did-Kami-sama forbid, decide to drop in again."

"Yay! Maybe we could send them a few ultra advanced fusion bombs and nuke their home planet so they'll never think of coming back, if they even survived!" Su said with surprising vehemence. The last thing she wanted was to see those alien's harassing her Big Brother and Best PlayMate again.

Motoko considered the possibility for a moment. A hypothetical preemptive strike would make sense if it could be attempted considering the time and dimensional barriers involved. Then almost immediately she seemed to be seeing through different eyes faintly, and she had the impression of two arms, not her own, in front of her (him?) holding up two different strands of exposed wiring.

'Do I have the right?'

Motoko blinked, making certain to control her breath and prevent any obvious start as the impression faded.

Tsuruko cleared her throat. "I do believe this may be putting the cart before the horse. First thing's first, we must prepare for a possible second incursion." She favored Keitaro with a look. "And since Keitaro-san will be staying here for a while due to the Hinata Inn being rebuilt; I believe Motoko-han has something she would like to ask you."

Motoko eyed her big sister briefly. 'Wasting no time, are you?' She thought.

"Kei-kun," Motoko began, glancing down at him before finding the beginnings of a blush on her cheeks. "This is actually something I was going to come and visit you down in Hinata personally about next week before… well, before all this happened."

"R-really?"

"I knew you were planning a major renovation of the Inn; one that would make living there impractical for some time," Motoko said, "and we all know Kanako and her husband took over your old room at your parent's house, so I was going to offer you not only a place to stay while you were supervising the renovations, but also an introduction to the dojo and for you to see if you'd like to take up the blade."

Keitaro's eyes widened. "Me? Aren't you worried I'd throw a bokken through a wall?"

"We are prepared for that," Tsuruko stated matter of factly.

"Or trip over myself every other step?" Keitaro asked, his eyes looking down.

"Now that's an exaggeration, Kei honey, and you know it." Kitsune said, her tone sweet but serious.

"Coordination is part of the dojo's training," Motoko said, her hand briefly touching Keitaro's forearm, making him look up into her eyes. "I and everyone here will do all they can to help you learn how to defend yourself."

Keitaro thought for a moment, the idea did hold obvious appeal. Not the least of which it would almost be like old times at the Hinata; especially with Motoko around and most of the other girls. While the idea of the Daleks coming back did terrify Keitaro, he knew he would at least rather attempt to learn some new ways to defend himself than just practice running away and hiding.

"Besides," Tsuruko smirked, "there is no hiding that fancy footwork you showed off on that ship; jumping down from the rafters and killing that terrible Dalek, and saving Motoko-han in the process."

Motoko blushed, remembering the experience again. "Yes, Kei-kun, please just consider the offer."

Slowly, as Keitaro looked up at Motoko, he nodded, saying: "Okay, I'll think about it and give you my answer in the next couple of days. It is tempting, but I just need a little bit of time."

Motoko smiled, "until then, just rest."

"And you should too, little sister," Tsuruko added. "Nap time for you both after your doctor-approved breakfasts," the older raven haired swordswoman pointed to both Motoko and Keitaro, then she favored everyone else with a smile. "Time for breakfast for all of us, too. If everyone will please follow me."

Everyone said their good-byes to Motoko and Keitaro. Before leaving, Shinobu gave Keitaro a brief hug, then a conspiratorial look. "Don't worry, sempai, I made sure you two got a real breakfast."

"Thank you, Shinobu-chan." Keitaro smiled.

"I will remain here," Moe-Chan intoned, her face a serene smile at her post next to Keitaro.

A nurse and two clan servants quickly and efficiently saw to Keitaro and Motoko's immediate needs and served them breakfast. As the nurse left with the servants, Motoko heard a slight comment about the breakfast looking "much better than usual." As Keitaro and Motoko gratefully began to eat, it was a while before anyone spoke. There were smiles, of course. Moe-Chan looking from Keitaro and Motoko and back again.

Once the breakfast was done, Motoko made some tea for her and Keitaro. The spell of contented silence between them was broken as Keitaro enjoyed the steam rising from the clay cup. "Motoko-chan… why did you come for us all by yourself?"

Motoko calmly, but deliberately, put her own cup down after a grateful sip. "I could not risk playing safe."

"I mean, we're grateful, believe me. And I did ask you for help," Keitaro rambled. "But it was still dangerous to come after us alone in that tin can of Su and Naru's."

"Yes, it was." Motoko stated, still looking at the cup. She turned to Keitaro, "but it was the only way to make certain I could rescue you and Moe-Chan. I had to get to you two as soon as possible."

"Well," Keitaro smiled, "I never thought you or the others were going to leave us out there."

"No," Motoko smiled back, "but let this samurai have her ways and reasons, Kei-kun."

Keitaro blushed at her using his name in such a familiar way. "Okay, Motoko-chan…"

There it was again, that creeping blush that threatened to color her cheeks in scarlet every time he used her name in such a familiar way.

"Say… I mean… ah," Keitaro stammered.

"That is to say," Motoko began, then stopped. "Mmm," Motoko tried again.

After a few more attempts to chart a new direction in their conversation, the two finally just started laughing together.

"You know what? Let's just have a nice day together talking." Keitaro said amid his laughs. "I haven't gotten to see you in months!"

Motoko nodded. "Yes, we will talk of other things later, Kei-kun. But right now, I miss my best friend, Keitaro." She smiled.

Keitaro stopped. This was the first time Motoko had ever called him her best friend. He was pleased, yes, but there was also a note of fear in the back of his mind. Still, the truth of the statement from Motoko rang true. "Yeah, best friends," Keitaro said, smiling radiantly. "You really are the best friend I have ever had, Motoko-chan."

Motoko blushed again. "... and friendship is the beginning of any lasting relationship."

Keitaro nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes it is." 'And it is certainly better than hearing the *just friends* speech,' Keitaro thought. A mischievous grin then crept onto his lips. "The best Assistant Manager I ever had at the Inn, too."

"Please," Motoko snorted. "Make that the *only* Assistant Manager the Inn ever had."

"There really was no other choice." Keitaro said with mock seriousness.

The two laughed again.

000

Three days passed, and the doctors and nurses gave Keitaro a clean bill of health, the hospital beds disappeared from Motoko's room, and instructions were given to him and Motoko to make certain he is eating properly to help fill out his now wiry, heavily muscled frame, and to try and watch his stress levels. Motoko also, at her insistence, set up twice weekly visits with a therapist (who visited him in Motoko's office).

"Not Naru's," Motoko had assured him. Both of them recalled the period of adjustment five years earlier when Naru had started therapy and medication. The alternating days of Naru punching holes in the wall in flustration at something as simple as dropping a pen or adamantly refusing to get out of bed due to not liking a cloud formation had been necessary, but still painful.

"But I'm fine, really," Keitaro had told her.

Motoko simply gave him a look that left no compromise on the issue. "You need this."

Keitaro had agreed to one session. That had been yesterday, and after Motoko had asked him if he wanted to keep going.

Reluctantly, Keitaro admitted that he did. He told the therapist, a Dr. Hikaru Amagi, as much as he could about his past, trying his best to be accurate but not too detailed about the unique living situation that had existed at the Hinata Inn for so long.

After all, even he could hardly believe a fraction of what sometimes happened to them on a daily basis, and he lived it, so how could he expect an ordinary psychiatrist to take such things as a flying hot springs turtle, an indoor jungle, and a kendoka who could slice and dice rocks into gravel in a hot second at face value? Instead, Keitaro tried to keep his conversations on himself, his attempts to get into Tokyo U, and (in general terms) his relationships with all the other girls. He spoke of the "breaking" of promises and all the pain that it entailed, especially related to Naru and Mutsumi.

"What happened to them?" Dr. Amagi had asked.

"Oh, their relationship eventually ended. Both girls admitted they were not founded on firm foundations. I rebuilt my friendship with them both, but it is not like it used to be. Mutsumi-chan married a nice farmer's market operator. Naru-chan is still single, dedicated to her career."

As Keitaro sat on the deck outside of Motoko's rooms admiring the beautiful grounds of the dojo he recalled Dr. Amagi had told him it seemed to him that he had done surprisingly well with all of the challenges facing him, considering the circumstances. Let alone, and yes even Dr. Amagi could not resist a slight smile, his actions during the "Battle of Pepperpot Point."

'I still cannot believe this happened, and here I am in Kyoto staying with Motoko-chan and her family. Almost like I'm part of the family,' Keitaro thought with a slight blush.

Since the day he regained consciousness, Keitaro and Motoko had been inseparable, almost. They shared meals together, catching up on old times, and also just being around with family and friends. Keitaro's parents returned home a day ago, and Naru and Su had departed the day before that to return to their main lab in Kyoto City proper. Kitsune and Shinobu stayed, they both told Keitaro they would be there as long as need be.

"Kei-kun?" Motoko asked. "How was your session with Dr. Amagi today?"

Keitaro gave a shrug. "Feeling a little bit better."

Motoko nodded. "What did you talk about, if I may ask?" She put a hand on his shoulder. "You do not have to tell me anything if you do not want to."

"Well," Keitaro smiled. "I want to tell you, Motoko-chan."

Motoko returned Keitaro's smile.

"... Naru and Mutsumi, a bit about the promise, and also back when we all lived together." Keitaro said, a bit quiet. "I didn't mention all the weird stuff."

'Good,' Motoko thought, 'he knows to keep some things close to the vest, so to speak.'

"I did mention not getting into Tokyo U."

Motoko nodded.

"... failure." He looked down, it seemed a shadow passed over his features, and Keitaro hid behind his glasses.

"Keitaro," Motoko said gently, "you are not a failure. You never have been."

"I just never understood why after all those years of striving for one thing, I could not quite make it, you know?"

"Tokyo U is just a school at the end of the day, you know," Motoko said.

Keitaro chuckled. "So says the Tokyo U educated lawyer."

"And who is the man who got me there?" Motoko smirked.

"At least you knew which parts of the exam were trouble… like all of it." Keitaro said distantly.

"I think you achieved the greater victory," Motoko said. "You took care of all of us."

Keitaro nodded, was silent for a moment. "I just wish everyone had stayed a bit longer…"

"A lot of us are here with you now, Kei-kun." Motoko smiled.

"Yeah, that's great," he chuckled, "only thing that would make it better would be if we weren't facing down an alien invasion threat."

"We will win." Motoko said with conviction.

He looked in her eyes, and smiled as he ran his fingers through his brown hair absently. "I believe in you, Motoko-chan."

"Then believe me when I tell you that the words 'failure' and 'Keitaro Urashima' do not belong in the same universe together!" Motoko said with such vehemence that one might have mistook Motoko for being angry. "Now you believe that!"

"Okay…" Keitaro said quietly.

"What?" Motoko asked, cupping her hand up against her ear. "I'm sorry, but I did not hear?"

"Okay." Keitaro replied a bit louder.

"'Okay' what…?" Motoko prompted.

"Failure and Keitaro Urashima do not belong in the same universe together!" He answered loudly.

Motoko smiled, satisfied. "I know it sounds corny, but you just keep telling yourself that. Because it is the truth, Kei-kun."

Keitaro smiled radiantly, feeling the admittedly corny, but real warmth.

000

The next day Keitaro was meditating on the deck outside of Motoko's office when a quiet knock on the screen door broke Keitaro's reflection, he glanced back. "Yes?"

The screen slid open revealing a bearded man with graying black hair and well-kept beard dressed in simple white gi and orange hakama like almost everyone else at the dojo. "May I, Keitaro-san?" Almost instantly, recognition dawned in Keitaro's eyes.

"Y-yes! Please, Aoyama-san."

The man Keitaro remembered as Anzai Aoyama, Motoko's and Tsuruko's father. Keitaro could count on one hand how many times he had met the man over the course of over nine years. All the times had been very brief, but pleasant, and had to do with some kind of milestone in Motoko's life, or the birth celebration for Tsuruko and Mitsuru's first child.

Anzai Aoyama quickly slid the door shut and produced from behind his back a very large bottle of beer and two glasses. He gave a short bow before seating himself next to Keitaro.

"How is this day finding you, Keitaro-san?" Aoyama asked as he opened the bottle, and set about carefully pouring one glass, then another.

"Oh very nice, thank you for your family's hospitality and help during all of this, I am eternally grateful to Motoko-chan and Tsuruko-san," Keitaro all at once realized he was babbling but figured he should just take the opportunity to thank, privately, at least one of Motoko and Tsuruko's parents. Since his arrival at the dojo, he had not even seen Konoha or even the esteemed current head of the God's Cry School, Kaede. He had been told they were busy with many various duties, both normal and also pertaining to the threat posed by the Daleks, but Keitaro was smart enough to figure that Motoko was trying to keep his interactions with others manageable.

'She's trying to keep me from being too stressed out,' Keitaro thought as Anzai commented on the weather and the landscaping in this section of the dojo. 'But I know she's worried sick about those Dalek things, too.'

"Do you know what you have done?" Anzai asked, suddenly, throwing a sideways look to Keitaro.

"Um, what?" Keitaro barely had the presence of mind to get out as the older Aoyama man's demeanor immediately seemed to change.

"Do you know what you have done to Motoko-chan?" Anzai asked again, a slight edge to his voice.

"N-no…" Keitaro looked down, his ears tingling. Was he going to order him away from the dojo at once? In defiance of Motoko and Tsuruko's wishes? Keitaro secretly feared a hint would be dropped for him to start looking for another place to go soon, but this was so sudden.

Keitaro looked up, trying to think of a contrite way to apologize for causing the Aoyama clan more trouble than he was worth-

"Why even the Imperial Representative and senior cabinet officials from the government have come to tell my sister in law that things can never be the same for the God's Cry School, now." Anzai's eyes seemed to bore a hole right through Keitaro's glasses and through his skull. "All because you asked my daughter, your former tenant for help…"

He looked down again, mentally trying to total up how fast he could call his parents to come and collect him like some disobedient child who the principal had just suspended.

"What insolence! What unbridled arrogance!"

Then all at once, Keitaro felt himself stop being fearful and look for a way out of his likely predicament. No, if Anzai had decided it was time for him to leave, he would have to have him thrown out in a way that made it impossible for Motoko and Tsuruko not to know what was happening behind their back. Keitaro felt a surge of courage and… indignation. He had earned the right not to be tossed out just because someone might think he was unworthy of even being around. In that moment, Keitaro vowed that if Motoko wanted him here, then he would do everything in his power and beyond to stay right where he was.

Keitaro was about to tell Anzai this when he noticed that the older man had started to laugh. A low, deep laugh at first, then its volume raising until it seemed to fill the courtyard before them. Keitaro dared not look up, he simply kept his head bowed. This was certainly a new development once again. How could he tell off Motoko's father, however reluctantly, when he was bellowing laughter? These thoughts swirled in Keitaro's mind so thickly, that he barely noticed Anzai gently take his hand and a cold, perspiring glass of beer placed in it. Puzzled, Keitaro dared to look up, and found the Aoyama father standing tall before him with his own glass of beer held out before him; facing Keitaro. On his face was no scowl, or anger, only mirth-filled humor.

"I salute you."

With that, Anzai took a deep drink of the beer, then glanced down at Keitaro. "Come on, drink up, Keitaro-san! I am here to celebrate with you!"

"A-h-what?" Keitaro managed.

"A celebration of your good health, and for my-I hope-successful persuasion for you to join us here at the dojo." Anzai grinned.

"You mean you want me to stay?!" Keitaro mouth hung open.

"Hell yes, I do!" Anzai downed another good mouthful of beer. "Motoko-chan and Tsuruko-chan have been planning your arrival here for three months, at least. Until those damned aliens struck, they were just waiting for your last tenant to leave before making the offer." Anzai laughed as he sat back down. "When they first suggested it; it was just so cute to tease Motoko-chan about you maybe coming to stay for a while; even though at first she said you were just an old friend, we all tried to persuade her to finally take some action concerning you."

"We!?" Keitaro asked, raising both eyebrows.

"Mostly Tsuruko-chan."

Keitaro nodded, no need to say more on that. Remembering he had a glass of beer in his hand, Keitaro took a long, grateful drink. "It's good, thank you, Aoyama-san," Keitaro commented. "Funny, I would have expected sake."

"More than enough of that to go around here," Anzai said, "I much prefer beer." He favored Keitaro with a long look. "I also must apologize for my wife, and my sister-in-law's absence from the times you and Motoko-chan take your meals; it is somewhat off our schedule and there are many details to attend to right now here at the school."

"I understand, completely," Keitaro said. "If you ever need help around with basic upkeep of the grounds and laundry, please do not hesitate to ask."

"I might soon," Anzai replied honestly. "The clan is wealthy, but we do various activities and we strive to keep tuition for students as low as possible. As such, everyone here pitches in with almost everything-and even I have a day-job, so to speak."

"Oh?" Keitaro found himself asking, he had at first thought Motoko's father was a senior kendo grand master or a demon hunter like Tsuruko's husband.

"Yes," Anzai sipped his beer some more. "Kyoto City Department of Sanitation, at your service."

"Ah, government civil servant."

"If you could call it that," Anzai chuckled, "I'm a foreman for the 5th ward sanitation division."

Keitaro raised an eyebrow. "You're a garbage man?"

"Firmly established in good standing and a member of the Local Kyoto Sanitation Workers United Lodge 309" Anzai gave a short bow of his head towards Keitaro. "And one of the secretaries of the local Liberal Democratic Party."

"Motoko never told me what you did for a living." Keitaro replied, his tone as neutrally polite as he could muster. For all of these years, this was about the last thing that he thought Motoko and Tsuruko's father would do as a career.

"Nowadays, it's more about the extra money and pension." Anzai shrugged, smiling in a way not unlike his eldest daughter. "It's really something I did not think about much, really. My life is my family and the dojo. I didn't really even tell Motoko-chan until about," he paused to think for a moment, " seven years ago what I did."

Keitaro nodded, thinking it must have been somewhat humbling for the raven-haired samurai to hear that her father worked as a garbage man. "Why did you wait so long to tell her, if I may ask?"

"It… just never seemed to matter much." Anzai said. "I was not ashamed of it, no, I just did not care." Anzai smiled. "That is, until you helped Motoko-chan see things a bit differently."

"I did?" Keitaro asked incredulously.

"Yes, I told her around when you helped her win that duel against Tsuruko-chan," the bearded dark-haired man recalled, "such a damn-fool thing that girl did, lying to attempt to delay taking over the school."

"She was just frightened she did not have the necessary skills yet," Keitaro said. "In fact, then she was scared to death almost of not being able to serve the clan adequately."

Anzai took another deep drink from his glass, stared out at the courtyard, then sighed. "I know," then he turned to Keitaro. "If she had just told Tsuruko-chan the truth from the start, it still would have been difficult for her to remain heir and yet delay the start of the process of taking over for her Aunt Kaede when the time came."

"If I may ask, what would have happened then, Aoyama-san?"

"There would have been a clan council meeting on the matter, of course," Anzai absently scratched his beard. "Motoko-chan would have needed an advocate to vouch for her activities while down in Hinata. Someone with at least a working knowledge of the God's Cry School abilities and also her day to day life..."

"Namely, me," Keitaro shook his head, chuckling.

Anzai laughed, "yes, Keitaro-san, it would have been you being dragged up here anyway. Really, I know it is all water under the bridge now, but things should not have gone as far as they did; not too mention Motoko-chan dragging you into it by claiming you were her fiance." A chuckle, "but she did violate a sacred rule; and then compounded that transgression when found out, so that's why things unfolded as they did." A sigh, "before you, Motoko-chan, and Narsuegawa-san returned to Hinata City, I took a hard look at what I had done myself after what Motoko-chan had written in her letters over the past year prior about you. Of course, my transgression was one of omission rather than of commission."

"Oh?" Keitaro asked uncertainly, he was not quite sure he wanted to hear such ancient history. Things were so different now between him and Motoko.

"It was about your repeated failures to get into Tokyo U." Anzai said. "About how she doubted your ability to be anything but a spineless, uneducated derelict pervert who would be fortunate hauling garbage for a living." Anzai's face took on a thoughtful look. "When she wrote that letter, had you just done something to make her angry?"

Keitaro chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah, probably."

Once again the thoughtful look on Anzai's face returned. "Let's see, she said you were spineless, uneducated, and a derelict pervert. There was something else… yes, clumsy and rep-report?"

"Reprobate," Keitaro supplied.

"Yes, that's the word she used," Anzai thought out loud. "Before you returned to Hinata after the duel I took Motoko-chan aside, and told her I still remembered reading that letter and had something to tell her," he took a deep breath. "I told Motoko that a spineless, uneducated derelict pervert would not have done all he could have and more for her in her hour of shame and need, and I told her that I myself, her father, was a garbage man who's educated ended at high school. I never even attempted a single college entrance examination."

Silence reigned between the two men for a while.

"I know you are far too much of a gentleman to ask, but I will tell you that the look on Motoko-chan's face was heartbreaking for me to see as a father," Anzai said, "even when it is for the right reasons, it is not easy to tell your child that they have been not only mistaken, but blind; and viciously so. Motoko-chan bowed, then crumpled to her knees, begging my forgiveness as her father for her actions and viewpoint in regards to you. She said she could see the quality within you now. I knelt down with her, and embraced my little girl and told her I forgave her, but that she should cultivate some kind of understanding between you two, even if you two would not be forced to marry."

Keitaro suddenly took off his glasses and wiped his eyes, he had not felt the tears coming. Welcoming, cleansing tears.

Anzai simply smiled. "That is why I am so happy you are here now, regardless of the circumstances. You both need each other. There are no reasons or obstacles for you two not to cultivate what you wish. I also get an opportunity to… make amends, Keitaro-san. If I had been more open with Motoko-chan as she grew up, she may not have been so harsh and judgmental with you when you first arrived at the Hinata Inn."

Keitaro simply nodded.

"I am going to tell you a little story, Keitaro-san." Anzai smiled. "It will not be long, but it has about how I met Konoha. I was twenty years old, I had been working as a garbage man for about a year, and been a loyal LDP party member for over two years… just shuffling through things day to day. I had gotten the job with Sanitation as, well, a piece of political patronage due to my relentless hustling for the party list in the most recent election." Anzai reflected fondly, "I began to notice on my street car ride home from work a beautiful woman sharing the same route, she also always carried a bokken and wore a proper gi and hakama. Sometimes she'd meet my gaze, and then I'd blush and look away. Sometimes I thought I could catch the ghost of a smile on her lips. Anyway, one day I mustered up the courage to ask her out to tea or coffee. You know what she said?"

"I'm not a time traveller," Keitaro shrugged with a chuckle, his voice cracking a bit.

Anzai laughed, "she said considering how many times your eyes have met mine, blushed, and turned to look at the back of the trolley driver's head; you had better ask me out for more than just tea or coffee. So I asked her out to dinner, dancing, and a night on the town. She replied that that was more like it. We have been together ever since, I never hid that I came from more modest means, Kono-chan always said it mattered not what I did; but how I put the her, our children, and the dojo first."

Keitaro smiled. "Thank you for telling me this, sir."

"There's more," Anzai favored Keitaro with a look then a knowing smile. "Don't think I'm just support staff; you'd be surprised how many demons and evil spirits I've been able to sniff out working for Kyoto Sanitation."

"Which secret techniques do you use to get them to get out of the garbage?" Keitaro wondered.

Anzai laughed. "None. All intuition and investigation."

Keitaro just looked at him. "You're kidding me, right?"

"I am a ki null; I cannot perform the school's secret techniques. Indeed, when it comes to basic kendo, I have just been granted sixth dan." Anzai shrugged. "My wife tells me I am a great vessel for the transference of ki power to the next generation; she is correct in that as you know from my daughters." A bittersweet smile, "I named them well. Still I do wonder what it is like to be able to accomplish the school's secret techniques." The man favored Keitaro with a deep look. "You have those possibilities within you, Keitaro-san. You just need a change of priority and focus in your life."

Keitaro looked down at his hands, the wounds from the Dalek invasion almost completely healed. "It just seems strange to think that my hands, the hands of a seven-time ronin could ever do something as amazing as what Motoko-chan can do."

"Perhaps, but what was a ronin originally but a samurai in search of a master?" Anzai raised his voice a touch. "No better place to find that than here."

Keitaro nodded slowly, then remembered that his glass still had a few hearty sips of beer in it. He downed the rest of the beverage, feeling the pleasing buzz.

Anzai did the same, and the two men resumed their quiet enjoyment of the afternoon and the beautiful courtyard.

000

Tsuruko sat at the small modest table inside the large kitchen for the dojo, she set down the chopsticks after finishing the last bite of her meal.

"All done, Tsuruko-sama?" Shinobu asked from across the large room at the sinks where she was expertly using a large sprayer and scraper to clean up the large pots and pans from the mid-day meal. Steam rose around the petite blue-haired chef as she worked.

"Yes, it was delicious as usual, Shinobu-san." Tsuruko rose from the table and began gathering her dishes. "I thank you for saving me a late lunch."

"Oh, it was nothing, Tsuruko-sama, I am happy to help out," Shinobu turned around. "Not to worry about the dishes, I can get them."

Tsuruko laughed. "I need the extra exercise after all the rich, delicious food we've been eating since you arrived with Konno-san."

Shinobu blushed, then chuckled a bit at the compliment. "I aim for a positive reaction; even if it is for more exercise."

Tsuruko placed her dishes in the oversized sink. "I wonder… why have you never opened your own restaurant? Motoko-han has shown me your cookbooks, you know."

The blue haired young woman blushed a touch. "I guess I found that I really enjoyed creating cookbooks and helping trouble-shoot the menus of restaurants that needed help."

The older woman nodded. "There is appeal in being behind the curtain, as it were. But sometimes," Tsuruko smiled coyly, "there are times that call for one to step into the limelight."

"As you say, Tsuruko-sama." Shinobu blushed.

"If you need any help or advice, I would be happy to assist in any way I can." Tsuruko said.

Shinobu nodded.

"Why hello you two sugahs!" Kitsune called from the entrance of the kitchen that opened out into the main dining area for the dojo's mess hall.

The two women greeted the arriving Public Relations Director. Upon walking over to them, Kitsune gave both a quick hug before walking over to a smaller refrigerator next to the large industrial one. The ashen haired woman opened it and rummaged around in it before retrieving a bottle of chilled sake. She sipped some immediately from the small bottle.

"Clocked out?" Tsuruko winked.

"You betcha!" Kitsune replied. "Going to relax a bit tonight and watch the stars."

"Not a bad idea tonight," Shinobu commented with a smile. "It should be beautiful."

Tsuruko nodded. It would be a perfect night to take a walk with Mitsuru and their son, Masayuki. A thought came to her. "Well, ladies if we all end up outside let us make certain to avoid Motoko's rooms and the area outside the deck."

"Oh?" Shinobu asked.

"Oh do tell, Tsuruko-sama." Kitsune smirked.

"I have a feeling that Motoko-han and Keitaro-san's relationship might… deepen tonight." Tsuruko matched Kitsune's smirk.

Shinobu blushed, her girlhood crush on Keitaro having long since changed to a brother-sister relationship, she hoped for the best for him and Motoko to finally get together.

"About damn time," Kitsune took another celebratory swig of her sake bottle. "How did you know, Tsuruko-sama?"

"I have been pestering her constantly about it, of course."

Kitsune and Shinobu shared a look. They should have known.

Shinobu smiled, "finally." She felt the warmth of happiness for her friends, but also a firm knowledge of something *right* happening. "It should have been this way from the start."

Tsuruko smirked. "I do not know, but I may have placed a little hint in their heads."

"A little hint?" Kitsune arched an eyebrow, matching Tsuruko's coy little smirk. "Well," she opened the refrigerator once again, retrieving two more sake bottles. "I'll drink to that! Care to join me, ladies?"

Shinobu and Tsuruko nodded enthusiastically.

000

"I understand you talked to my father earlier today," Motoko said as she sipped daintily on some tea.

"I did, yes," Keitaro replied as he looked out at the same courtyard that he and Anzai had admired earlier over beers.

Motoko swallowed. "And..?"

"He asked me to stay and learn kendo with you." Keitaro smiled.

"... will you?"

"I will," Keitaro nodded.

For only the second time, without hesitations or prompting, Motoko embraced Keitaro. "Thank you, Kei-Kun," she said. "I will endeavor to make certain you do not regret this."

"... I will need a lot of help…and explaining things to me again and again will waste many valuable seconds from your day. "

"Father will assist along with Tsuruko."

"... great… it may take an eternity for me to just grasp the basics… "

'How many seconds in eternity?' Motoko almost gave voice to that thought, but stopped herself. "You will succeed, Keitaro."

"...!"

It was at that moment that Motoko realized that she was not just embracing Keitaro, she was crushing the stuffing out of him by her grasp.

"Oh! Sorry, Kei-kun!" She relaxed her grip on her house guest.

Keitaro chuckled. "It's fine, Motoko-chan."

"Was it my father who convinced you?"

"No," Keitaro shook his head, "he just helped firm up my resolve to learn."

"It is not just kendo you will learn," Motoko stated, proudly. "Kendo is the foundation; once that foundation is built, then we will build a structure which will house your warrior self; your ki."

"I just worry if I'm not ready to help when those Daleks come back," Keitaro said, shuddering, then he looked deep into Motoko's eyes. "... I also want to be able to protect you, too, Motoko-chan."

Motoko blushed, then her gaze shifted downward, "Keitaro-kun there is something I must tell you about the Daleks."

Keitaro gave her a patient look.

Motoko took a deep breath, then calmly and methodically began to explain her encounter with the Doctor. Once she was finished, she swore that Keitaro's mouth would begin attracting flies unless it closed.

"...what the hell?"

Motoko nodded.

"... amazing. A time and dimensional traveller?"

Motoko observed as Keitaro attempted to digest the amazing explanation she had just given.

"He knew about all of us here?"

"Not everything. But he knew enough," Motoko replied. She sighed, "now Kei-kun I have a favor to ask of you."

"Sure, yeah," Keitaro nodded absently.

"Never speak of what I just told you to anyone, ever." Motoko said with utmost seriousness. "Including with me. I told you because I owed you an explanation, now for the good of us all, we must remain silent. There is no safe way to explain to the world about the Doctor. The Daleks alone are hard enough to explain even with Moe-Chan's help."

Keitaro tried to swallow in a suddenly dry throat. "I understand."

Motoko grimaced. "Your training will begin tomorrow, at dawn."

"I am ready," Keitaro smiled.

She smiled back, "I do have something to show you." Motoko retrieved a satchel at her side, opening the latches. "This was found on a sidewalk in Hinata City, after…"

Keitaro only nodded.

Motoko handed Keitaro a sheet of paper, instantly he recognized it. "Oh my…"

The paper was a sketch, not too different than the many that Keitaro had done over the years during his time as the manager of the Hinata Inn. A picture of all the Hinata's residents gathered in front of the main entrance. There was one key difference, however…

"It's everyone as they are now…" Keitaro whispered.

"I am amazed you were able to get the details all correct."

"All the pictures you girls keep sending to my phone," Keitaro said absently. His hand traced the fine lines of the pencil drawing softly. "I was working on this for months."

Motoko watched as Keitaro studied the picture closely for a few moments. Inwardly, the swordswoman sighed, it was now or never.

"Keitaro," Motoko began.

"... yeah?" He looked up from the drawing.

"Why did you spend so long there alone? Even after all of us started to leave one by one." Motoko looked down.

"... I was needed." Keitaro said firmly. "The Hinata is home."

Motoko sighed, he could still be so charmingly dense sometimes. "I meant *alone*, as in Sara said you hardly left the house unless it was for groceries or something directly Inn related for the past year." Motoko gazed directly into Keitaro's eyes. "She also told me you would routinely rise before dawn and be running around the Inn and the grounds getting ready for that grand renovation you've been talking about all these years ever since Granny Hina's bequest. She also said you'd only eat in your room while yelling on the phone with the contractor. Why was it so important?"

Keitaro swallowed. "M-m-maybe I could finally make something of myself, I-"

"You already *have* made something of yourself," Motoko cut him off. "Even before the Daleks; you still have done so much for us… the building wasn't in that bad of shape, why were you trying to work yourself to death?"

"... I wanted the Hinata to be a place where you would want to come back to," Keitaro looked down, blushing furiously, "if only for a little while" he looked up into her eyes, "I know after you and Hanae-san broke off your engagement you were preparing to take over the school. Well, there's a need for a good kendo dojo in Hinata City outside of Reika High School, you know, if you decided to delay taking over the school or couldn't…"

Motoko's mind reeled. "You wanted to turn the Hinata into a dojo?"

"A God's Cry School of Kendo branch in Hinata." Keitaro nodded. "Yeah, that's what I wanted. So you could come back."

Motoko favored Keitaro with a long for a several seconds, "why would you do such a thing?" she blushed sharply.

"... because… because I am in love with you, Motoko Aoyama," Keitaro said, his voice cracking. "I know you probably don't feel the same-"

"How long?" Motoko whispered.

"Huh?"

"How long have you felt this way?" she clarified.

"... since before you left the Inn," Keitaro sniffled. "But since you and Hanae-san were engaged-" he took off his glasses to wipe his eyes.

"... I never told you why we ended our engagement, did I?" Motoko said as she took Keitaro's hand. "I could tell that Hanae-san, while he did love me and for a long while I loved him, I knew that if he had met me as I was when you first came to the Inn, then he would not love me. Keitaro Urashima, you are probably the only person who accepted me fully as I was then without question, and for that I do confess that I am in love with you, too."

Keitaro looked down from his hand, now interlocking with her own, and up into her eyes. "Why didn't you come sooner?"

"Be...because I always thought that someone better than I would come walking in the door of the Hinata," Motoko swallowed, tears in her eyes, "someone who would have been kind to you from the very start, who saw the real you, the man you were growing into, and not their blind prejudices and preconceptions."

Through his tears, Keitaro gave a wry smile, "that's why I was building a new door on the Inn for my Lady Samurai to come walking through."

Motoko laughed warmly. "You always were a sentimental goof, Kei-kun." She held his hand tighter.

Keitaro chuckled, then his eye turned back down to their clasped hands, then up in her eyes. "I… understand if you want to take things slow, Motoko-chan."

"I was about to tell you the same thing." Motoko scooted closer to where Keitaro was sitting, she put her arm around him, embracing.

"You don't have to do that, if you don't want to," Keitaro returned her embrace. "I don't want to make you feel obligated, Motoko-chan."

"I want to, Kei-kun."

"...and I completely understand if you don't feel comfortable with kissing… or stuff like that right now, Motoko-chan," Keitaro found a comfortable position for his hands to settle around Motoko's upper back, idly drifting lower. He blushed furiously, his ears burning.

"I want you to kiss me, Keitaro Urashima."

Needing no more urging, Keitaro finished the turn his head had already undertaken, lowered his lips to Motoko's, as they both closed their eyes. Keitaro's lips fluttered, tasting then learning the shape of Motoko's lips first, then tentatively, cautiously Motoko's lips parted and soon they were sealed together with Keitaro's. Motoko let Keitaro lead, she knew that it was his first true kiss that was not anything bizarre, and she wanted it to be everything it could be for him and so much more. She wanted to make him feel that she was not comparing him in any way to anyone else. To let him know that she was his in this way; completely and totally.

Finally, the two came up for air, and as the sun set on the courtyard, the two kept repeating to each other words of love and devotion.

000

Distributed as a press release, in English, to all news outlets and wire services around the world...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Sunday, April 19th, 2009

ALL INQUIRIES:

Mitsune Konno, Public Relations Director

God's Cry School of Kendo

Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture

Dear people of Earth,

My name is Motoko Aoyama, previously I was the heir to the head of the God's Cry School of Kendo in Kyoto, Japan. Now, I am simply Motoko Aoyama, a warrior of that school. I will try to be brief in this statement, but also open with all of you, fellow citizens of this fragile, precious planet. I know practically all of you have seen what I did to help one Keitaro Urashima and his friend, Moe-Chan escape the beings known as the Daleks. I also know there are many, many questions about what the God's Cry School really is and what does it stand for. Finally, I know all of you are asking if the Daleks' will come back.

Firstly, my clan's school, the God's Cry School while it is the finest kendo school in all of the world, kendo is what could be called the school's "day job," while those with certain abilities and talents receive a deeper training that unlocks the kind of powers that were seen in the video of myself on the Dalek ship. These powers have been passed down over hundreds of years in order to protect and defend humanity from primarily evil spirits and demons, and sometimes from ordinary humans up to no good. The school does not seek to rule or dictate, but to simply stand for justice and to protect the innocent. Indeed, let it be known to whoever encounters this message, God's Cry has protected the living and innocent from evil on Earth, and will do so in the stars if there are those who come here seeking to do harm and to enslave.

On the matter of the Daleks, rest assured both the school but also the governments allied with Japan, MolMol, and the United States are working tirelessly to ensure that the Daleks do not return, but if they do justice will be meted out quickly, efficiently, and harshly. God's Cry will stop at nothing to ensure the survival and freedom of Earth, even if it comes at great personal sacrifice. That is what the school is here for and will be here for eternity.

Finally, I know there is a great deal of public interest in what there is between myself and Keitaro Urashima. While we wish to express our heartfelt gratitude at the outpouring of well-wishes from the entire world, we also humbly ask for our privacy during this time. But I will, as a woman, confirm with great joy that yes, Keitaro Urashima and I have agreed to terms with each other, and are looking forward to a romantic relationship with each other that we hope will lead to marriage soon. Once again, we humbly thank the entire world for its support during this trying time.

Sincerely,

Motoko Aoyama

Swordswoman Grandmaster, Attorney at Law and Junior Legal Counsel

God's Cry School of Kendo

Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

000

The Doctor exhaled as the TARDIS' console transmitter powered down, judging by the indicators on the screen in front of him, he was successful in his goal of alerting the Earth in, by Time Lord reckoning, Parallel universe 66-GH to an imminent Dalek threat. Furthermore, judging by the time projections he was seeing appear now, it appears his more pointed suggestion to one Motoko Aoyama had been accepted and acted upon, much to his satisfaction.

On another screen, the TARDIS showed several other readings in the Time Vortex, one in particular made the Doctor smile. It appeared that the Dalek invasion had indeed been a failure, and that only one Dalek survived to tell the tale of how difficult a place Universe 66-GH would be to invade. In fact, some new time projections appeared on yet another screen that indicated that the inhabitants of the world Motoko Aoyama and Keitaro Urashima inhabited were soon to start perfecting a dimensional shield to further stymie attempts by outsiders to take over their universe.

The Doctor laughed, and spun away the overhead console/monitor bank as he turned away from the main console, he picked up his guitar and began strumming out some Shostakovich. But… just in case, the Doctor had a hunch that he should drop by to make certain that the TARDIS' time projections were correct. After all, the signatures on the dimensional shield looked like something *he* would have come up with, so he likely *did* drop by to offer some assistance beyond what he had already imparted to Motoko Aoyama. But maybe, at the end of the day, he was just frightfully bored and lonely after his extended "last Christmas" with River and just wanted to raise hell for a bit.

Making his decision, the Doctor suddenly put down the guitar and made the necessary adjustments to the time controllers on the TARDIS' main console. This kind of cross-dimensional travel was very difficult, but with the right vectored anchoring in the time-stream of his home dimension, then he could reliably open a route for the TARDIS to pay the Earth of Motoko Aoyama and Keitaro Urashima a visit. The Daleks had paved the way, so to speak. Once all the details were set, he threw the lever, and soon the TARDIS was on its way.

"Your move, Davros."

000

TO BE CONTINUED...


	4. Chapter 4 - Blind Leading The Blind

"Blind Leading The Blind"

By MakKeiUra

A Love Hina/Doctor Who crossover fanfiction

Send all comments, critiques, and other assorted nonsense to:

makkeiura

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Love Hina, Ken Akamatsu does, nor do I own Doctor Who. The BBC and its various units and writers own the good Doctor. No profit is being made from this.

NOTES: For Love Hina, this story takes place in an alternate universe/future to the anime-only continuity. For Doctor Who, this takes place in between whatever comes next for the 12th Doctor after "The Husbands of River Song" but before the next canon adventure… which the BBC tells us will be another Steven Moffat penned Christmas special. On the part of Love Hina, as I was always too damned poor to acquire the manga, any extras you see in this story that don't quite jive with the anime are freely absorbed from almost fifteen years of reading Love Hina fan fiction. For simplicity sake, the major point of departure is the end of the TV series, including episode 25. Just ignore everything that happened on screen after that. While I do acknowledge that, obviously, this story will alter a lot of the background purposes of what drives the main characters in Love Hina, I suspect that this is what you are here for.

000

October 17th, 2009, God's Cry Kendo dojo, Kyoto Prefecture

"Dammit!" Keitaro Urashima cursed as he lost his grip on the shinai. The bamboo practice sword sailed smoothly through the air to imbed itself in the shoji screen wall of the dojo. He sighed and shrugged. "I am sorry, Tsuruko-sensei."

"It is fine, Keitaro-kun." She nodded for him to retrieve another shinai. Once Keitaro had done so, he took his position. On this day, Tsuruko was leading his training since Anzai Aoyama, Keitaro's soon-to-be father in law, was attending to some business in Kyoto City.

"Resume your katas," Tsuruko stated.

Keitaro did so. He performed a number of sword strikes for around fifteen minutes, before…

"Dammit!" Another shinai now ended up in the ceiling of the dojo.

Keitaro closed his eyes, breathing deep in the way that Motoko had taught him to help deal with flustration and achieve patience.

"Retrieve another one," Tsuruko said, utterly patient.

Keitaro exhaled slowly. "And after the other one?"

"The same."

"Is this ever going to end?" Keitaro asked, louder than he had meant it.

Tsuruko gave a small smile. *That* smile. "It already has."

"Huh?" Keitaro gave Tsuruko an incredulous look.

"How many shinais have you lost your grip on this month?"

"Probably about twelve." Keitaro closed his eyes again, as if that would make the shame easier to bear.

"Eleven, actually." Tsuruko chuckled. "How many did you drop or throw your first month?"

"I… don't remember."

"I do. Thirty-five." Tsuruko said. "You have improved considerably."

"Somehow I just don't feel it right now." Keitaro said bitterly.

"My father would have you do laps around the gardens if he were here right now for such an attitude." Tsuruko gave a short laugh.

Keitaro nodded. "Maybe that's what I need right now."

"And then Motoko-han would want to tan your hide for good measure," Tsuruko stated dryly. "But I think she is saving that for the honeymoon."

Keitaro blushed furiously. His wedding to Motoko was less than a week away and Tsuruko seemed to delight in dropping innuendos and other comments daily to both Keitaro and Motoko about what was to come. Though they shared the same room since his arrival after the events of the "Battle of Pepperpot Point," they had both agreed to enjoy only up to making out until their marriage. Indeed, though they slept side by side, they had separate futons. This would change once they were married. Motoko had meticulously arranged for a western style bed for them. When Keitaro expressed surprise that she would indulge in such a luxury, Motoko simply smiled, then kissed him fiercely telling him she will enjoy the luxury of him every night once they are married.

"I just wish I was making actual progress I could see..." Keitaro remarked quietly.

"Hmm?" Tsuruko asked. "What was that, Kei-kun?"

Keitaro repeated what he said a bit louder.

Tsuruko's expression took on a serious look, then she smiled. An actual different smile from her this time. "Very well then, follow me." She turned around and led him out the back door of the dojo. Soon, Keitaro was following past a set of hedges, and past a sign that read:

"URASHIMA KENDO TRAINING! PROTECTIVE HEADGEAR REQUIRED UNLESS KI CERTIFIED SIXTH DAN!"

They rounded the corner of a wooden fence. This was a part of the dojo grounds that Keitaro had not walked through before.

"Here." Tsuruko pointed along the fence. Neatly lined up against the fence were shoji screens with shinais and the occasional bokken through them. Underneath each screen was a sign denoting the number and type of weapon thrown through it and the corresponding week. Keitaro's eyes followed. Week one, two, three, four… at first it was only one shinai or bokken less than the preceding week, but literally right before his eyes was the evidence that he had asked of Tsuruko.

"I don't believe it." Keitaro whispered.

"In time you will." Tsuruko smiled.

000

Anzai and Motoko removed their shoes and put on their house slippers, and then almost in unison, proceeded inside the former's office and plunked down their briefcases on Motoko's desk.

"Well that meeting was fruitless, wasn't it, Motoko-chan?" Anzai grumbled.

"Indeed it was, father." Motoko agreed. They had just gone to a meeting in the office of the Governor of Kyoto Prefecture. The meeting covered the Dalek threat, Su-Narsuegawa labs ongoing efforts to create both a method of early detection of the Daleks but also a kind of dimensional "shell" or shield to protect them, considerations of public relations as it regarded the God's Cry School, and finally considerations of national and family politics.

Motoko cast a sidelong glance at her father. "I will not allow Kei-kun to become a political pawn, father."

"Nor will I." Anzai said. "But we're going to have to tell him. It's only going to be a matter of time. These offers are not going to go away… for him, for you, or for me, either." He laughed ruefully. "There was a time I would have jumped at a chance to be allowed onto the party list for an election, let alone running in an actual district. Now…" he shook his head. "The world and the dojo needs more than just politics."

Motoko's eyes narrowed. "I can tell some of them are looking down at him. They have done the research into Kei-kun's past, and they think to make a puppet out of him. But he is meant for more than just being a member of the Diet, House of Councillors, or even the Governor of Kanagawa."

"Right now, they're thinking of Hinata City council…" Anzai said offhand. "If it comes down to it, I will discuss with your mother and aunt if it is time for me to enter public life."

Motoko reached up to touch her father's shoulder. "If it must be, then the LDP will have no finer candidate for whatever they deem best."

Anzai clasped Motoko's hand. "If it must be, then you let me take that role, and you protect and train my son-in-law to be." He grinned, laughing. "I trust the Aoyama women to whip that boy into shape."

"He tries so hard, sometimes in his sleep at night he repeats the kata names." Motoko said.

"Make certain he does not work himself too hard," Anzai said seriously. "I know he is frightened by the Daleks; more so than anyone with good reason, but his skills are coming along nicely."

"Thus big sister and I have told him." Motoko shook her head. "He still wrestles with the past sometimes."

"So do all great warriors," Anzai smiled. "The greater glory goes to those who wrestle with it and still come out on top."

Motoko nodded. "Well, Kei-kun should be done with his practice for the morning. Let's go tell him what the government ministers had to say."

000

After Tsuruko had shown Keitaro his training progress, she led him back to the dojo where she simply said it was time for him to meditate on this morning's session. Tsuruko said ordinarily she would join him, but it was time for Mitsuru to depart to his next assignment and she needed to go watch their son after bidding her husband farewell, safe journey, and happy demon hunting.

Keitaro meditated for his usual amount of time. He focused on his breath and the sounds of the room around him. He was alone, but the sounds of the other students of the dojo could be overheard as a class was practicing some hand to hand maneuvers on the green outside. He reflected on his progress, but also the strength of the enemy they were (potentially) facing. Keitaro knew that he was getting better, but would it be enough?

He opened his eyes. Keitaro knew it was time to go freshen up and meet Motoko and her father. He stood up, stretched a bit, then exited the dojo.

"Why good morning, Keitaro-san!" Konoha Aoyama called in her lilting voice.

"Ah, our newest student," Kaede's voice, slightly dryer and deeper but just as musical met his ears.

Keitaro bowed deep and slow. "Good morning to you, Konoha-san, Kaede-san."

The two raven haired sisters smiled, then laughed. "Soon it will be son-in-law," Konoha smirked.

"Is this about my wedding kimono fitting?" Keitaro asked. "I took your advice, Konoha-san to lay off the sweets, really I have!" Keitaro laughed, scratching the back of his head.

"And only partaking in light beer when you drink with my brother-in-law," Kaede cut in.

"Uh, yeah, that too." Keitaro nodded. "What brings you two to the practice yard today?"

"Enjoying a pleasant fall afternoon." Konoha said, glancing around, enjoying the afternoon breeze.

"Stretching my legs away from the usual clan politics." Kaede rubbed her temples, Keitaro could tell that her eyes were still adjusting to the bright sunlight. He recalled his first meeting with her shortly after his arrival at the dojo back in April. The head of the clan and God's Cry dojo had scarcely been beyond the grounds of the family compound in years. Some days she did not go outdoors. On that day he first met Kaede, Keitaro had to allow his eyes a minute to adjust to the low light level in Kaede's office. The only thing illuminated was a large wall-mounted map of the world with little push-pins and post-it notes on it. After exchanging pleasantries and greetings, Kaede had made her first request of the God's Cry School's newest student; please pour her a stout glass of whiskey. Keitaro had done so, and over the next hour they had a pleasant conversation about his life and his experiences in the incident with the Daleks. She told him to give the dojo his all; but not to forget to be a well-rounded individual but she had very little worry of that given what she already knows about him from Motoko and Tsuruko. Three things stuck out in Keitaro's mind from this meeting. One, in response to his query Kaede enthusiastically explained that the map of the world did indeed show the various senior ki practitioners of the dojo and what operations or missions they were conducting. Two, a small smile rarely ever left Kaede's lips but it almost seemed like it was in response to not what was happening in the room but some kind of private joke or hearing pleasant music inside one's head. Third, in contrast to most drinkers Keitaro knew, Kaede was a slow sipper; they spoke for an entire hour and Kaede never quite finished the glass.

Keitaro took a look around, and yes it was a nice fall afternoon. It was amazing, really, ever since what happened with the Daleks some days seemed just so tangible in how gorgeous they were.

"Sounds great, ladies," Keitaro smiled. "I was just on my way to get cleaned up for tea with Motoko-chan."

"Mind if we accompany you?" Konoha asked.

Keitaro blushed instinctively. "Ah, what?"

The two sisters laughed.

"Only over to the main building," Kaede said, still laughing. "We leave anything further to Motoko-chan."

"No wish for a family soap opera." Konoha grinned.

And so, with one lady on each arm, the three of them casually strolled through the gardens meandering in the general direction of the dojo;s main building. The three of them chatted pleasantly about the upcoming wedding, the reception, and Su's insistence on Keitaro and Motoko going to MolMol where they can be protected at all times while still enjoying a paradise.

Perhaps Kaede noted the slight droop of his shoulders as he said this last, but she made her presence known to him at his left side somehow. Keitaro turned to look.

"You disagree with Su's plan?" Kaede asked.

"No," Keitaro replied. "I just wish such precautions weren't necessary for us."

"Perhaps someday they will not be, Keitaro-san." Konoha said

Kaede nodded slowly. "We can always hope."

"It's just hard to feel completely relaxed and do something like go out to dinner when you know there's fifteen ninjas just out of sight in case anything happens, you know?" Keitaro sighed. "But I know it's necessary for our safety."

"Keep training hard and someday you will easily match your guards," Kaede smirked.

"And perhaps even my daughters, too." Konoha winked.

The two ladies good humor made Keitaro laugh. He barely felt his left foot catch on a slightly upraised portion of grass, his body just began its forward momentum for him to go ass over tea kettle, when his center of gravity corrected itself and he regained his footing and step momentum with the two Aoyama women on his arms.

"That was close," Konoha said, "wasn't it, sister?"

"Indeed it was." Kaede chuckled.

"Woah, what happened?" Keitaro asked.

The two women tittered.

"The combined good luck from our ki's must have saved you from your fall." Konoha said lightly.

"But your work here helped make that trick work," Kaede said pointedly. "Just a few months ago, you would have tumbled to the ground and us along with you."

"Probably in an embarrassing position, too." Keitaro found himself unable to not say that.

The two women laughed. Keitaro's reputation preceding itself.

"Ah!" Anzai's voice called from across the grounds. "There you all are!"

"Kei-kun!" Motoko called out pleasantly.

"Motoko-chan!" Keitaro beamed.

"Sister," Konoha said in a lilting voice, "it would seem Motoko-chan has cut our walk short."

"In such an agreeable fashion, too." Kaede snickered.

000

After exchanging pleasantries and affectionate greetings between a married couple and a soon to be married couple, Anzai, Motoko, and Keitaro sat on a long stone bench next to the stream that flowed from the dojo's hot spring.

"Me? Politics?" Keitaro's astonishment could hardly be contained. Nor his hesitance.

"I am only telling you this now to prepare you for when they start asking you." Anzai said. "And even if you tell them 'hell no' a thousand times they will always find a way to ask another way at another time for another reason." The bearded Aoyama man nodded towards his daughter sitting hand-in-hand with Keitaro, "why will also ask Motoko-chan too."

Keitaro squeezed his fiance's hand. "But we can't run for office; there's an alien invasion threat!"

"Exactly," Anzai said, "that's why it might be me stepping forward." He laughed. "The government and the parties want an Aoyama to either lionize or demonize for the effort to protect against the Daleks."

"Aoyama-san…" Keitaro said, "there must be another way…" he trailed off. Keitaro, unlike many younger Japanese, actually had a fairly high opinion of those who took on the role of statesman both nationally and locally. A life of compromise and struggle had taught Keitaro not to apply differing standards of honesty and integrity to those who either worked in business, law enforcement, religion, government, or just the workaday world. All were either capable of the greatest heights or the most despicable lows. Furthermore, while as a voter Keitaro regularly rejected radicals at either end of the political spectrum; he was honest and clear-headed enough to have a fairly high opinion of his humble, effective, and hardworking local ward representative on the Hinata City council, even if the man was a card-carrying Communist.

"Kei-kun," Motoko said. "Remember what I told you about sacrifice being needed."

Keitaro nodded slowly. "You said not just from us, but also our families as well." He smiled weakly over at Anzai. "I just didn't want to drag my future father-in-law into the spotlight with me."

Anzai shrugged. "Each to his fate when the chimes of destiny do ring."

"This might be the best way to keep the clan in the loop when it comes to important developments regarding the Dalek threat," Motoko said. "And to also advocate for even more funding for the dimensional shield project of Naru and Su's."

"Can't they see what the risk is, and they're arguing over money?" Keitaro asked incredulously.

"Hundreds of trillions of yen." Anzai shook his head at the magnitude.

"What about Su's family?" Keitaro asked.

"They are trying." Motoko said. "I will be meeting with Naru-chan this afternoon," her face brightened a touch, "Mutsumi-chan will be joining her."

Keitaro smiled. "That's great, it'll be nice to see them again."

"Always nice to have more company at the long table with the students." Anzai smiled.

"Especially when you tell them about the great Aoyama samurais of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries." Motoko smirked. "For the thousandth time."

Anzai wagged a finger at his youngest daughter. "Always someone new at table these days who was not heard the tales."

"Mutsumi-chan will enjoy them."

'Naru-chan about fell asleep the last time she heard them.' Motoko thought, hoping this time would not mark the first time the scientist nodded off hearing her father tell a rousing tale of samurai derring-do. She smiled at Keitaro's enthusiasm, the developing friendship and mentorship between her fiance and her father was one of the joys of her life now. Motoko was also heartened at how her mother and aunt loved treating Keitaro like doting big sisters.

'Not unlike how Big Sister treats me,' Motoko groaned inwardly. Now she knew she was not alone in that feeling.

"I will put in a grand performance for Otohime-san tonight, then." Anzai grinned, he rose, straightened his black business suit, bowed, "it is time for practice with Kono-chan."

"Practice well, father," Motoko rose, bowed with a smile.

"See you at dinner, Aoyama-san," Keitaro followed suit.

000

After Anzai had left, Keitaro and Motoko had adjourned to her office for what had now become a regular ritual for the couple; enjoying tea on the deck outside next to the gardens. Recently though, while Tsuruko and Mitsuru had attempted to do most of the planning for them, wedding preparations was the main topic of conversation between them when preparations for the defense against the Daleks was not.

"How was training this morning?" Motoko sipped her still hot tea gingerly.

"I've been shown I am making progress, even if I don't see it." Keitaro said evenly.

Motoko listened. There were times she had to drag her fiance back from bouts of despair. She had remembered those feelings all too acutely within herself. Even with therapy, Motoko knew it was, potentially, a life-long process considering Keitaro's long-term battle with poor self-esteem. The couple had also discussed with Dr. Amagi that while a good relationship, marriage, and family can help, none of them were cures in an of itself for what Keitaro would have to deal with for the long-term. Not the least of which all of this happening in Keitaro's life while dealing with the Dalek threat.

"I just… have those dreams sometimes that they come back, and I'm not strong enough to fight them." Keitaro said, looking down into his own cup of steaming tea.

"You will be." Motoko said firmly. "Just keep your mind and your ki on your katas and the rest will follow."

Keitaro looked up, smiled at her. "One question… is Kitsune running a pool on how many shinais or bokkens I put through a screen in a week?"

"Tsuruko and I told her no gambling on premises as a condition of her employment." Motoko said with mock seriousness.

"I bet a part of her died when you two told her that."

"Not as large a part when I told her she would have to drink one cup of vinegar at dinner before her sake." Motoko smirked, it struck Keitaro she looked not unlike her sister then.

"You *know* she has her private supply," Keitaro scoffed.

"Oh, Tsuruko and I know, but we enjoy chiding her and making sure she has her vinegar-and proper exercise, too." Motoko's lectures to the legendary fox of Hinata Inn about her health and watching her figure had only increased over the years.

Keitaro chuckled, happy to know he was not alone in the daily cup of vinegar to go along with his training regiment.

They fell silent, for a few minutes they enjoyed their tea and the clear fall afternoon. Some leaves fell, a stray bird chirped, and off in the distance on an adjacent field, a class of students were learning katas; specifically ones that could be used in real combat.

"What's Su's latest update?" Keitaro asked.

Motoko frowned. The e-mail she had read this morning was disappointing save for Su's constant use of banana emoticons. "She said they are having trouble with the dimensional shield and portal detector prototypes, still. Moe-Chan says the answer is close, but she is not sure if the technology on hand is… *right*... for the task. Something more like her might be needed to regulate the energies. That's why Naru-chan is coming to see me today, to show me some data and materials they did not want being sent as an e-mail attachment or fax."

Keitaro sighed. "Sounds like Naru and Su might be asking you or Tsuruko to try and make something like Moe-Chan to make this shield or detector or whatever work."

Motoko nodded slowly. "So it would seem." She reached down with her free hand to clutch Keitaro's. "That would be the absolute last resort, I suspect."

Keitaro mulled the problem over in his head. If animating another doll somehow made it easier to protect the Earth and the universe from the Daleks; then it might be a necessary price to pay. On the other hand, it was to him still creating a conscious being to fight on their behalf. The idea turned his stomach.

Motoko sighed, noting the expression on her fiance's face. "Well, let us not jump to conclusions. I will be meeting Naru-chan and Mitsumi-chan in a few minutes. I will see what Su-chan refused to send over the internet. And you…" she raised her index finger to lightly tap Keitaro's nose, "need a bath before dinner."

Keitaro nodded, smiling. "Don't forget I also need to read Moe-Chan the newspaper, too."

"Yes, yes, I am well aware how much your little doll enjoys the opinion-editorial section."

With that, the couple silently finished their tea, set aside the cups to be cleaned later, kissed and wished each other a good rest of the afternoon until dinner. After Keitaro had left, Motoko quickly cleaned the cups in the small kitchen she had attached to her office, while mentally reviewing what exactly she would say to Naru if some of the proposals of Su-Narsuegawa Labs was not to God's Cry School liking.

000

"My my, Motoko-sama, you look splendid!" Mutsumi Otohime said as she gave a short bow to Motoko. The Turtle Lady dressed smartly in a green pencil skirt with a red blouse, clearly dressed for dinner.

"As do you, Mutsumi-san." Motoko bowed. "My best wishes to your husband."

"Thank you! Junichiro-kun wanted to come but he had to supervise a vendor meeting for the market."

Motoko smiled. "Ah, agriculture."

"And for you, the law." Mutsumi giggled.

"Now to saving the universe," Naru cut in, smirking as she adjusted her thick glasses, then instinctively smoothed the wrinkles out of her white lab coat.

"By all means," Motoko indicated the freshly cleared top of her oak desk.

Naru opened her attache case and produced several documents. She carefully showed each document and picture to Motoko, explaining each in layman's terms as well as possible, while Mutsumi, with their permission, texted on her phone between her husband and the various vendors at their farmer's market in Okinawa. This went on for about twenty minutes before Naru sat back in her seat with a "humph!"

"So, essentially, the transdimensional sensors keep overheating and nearly causing an explosion every time we bring them to full power." Naru sighed, removing her glasses and rubbing her temples.

Motoko absorbed this. She thought on the information presented for about a moment. Then, she remembered something. She had very little grasp on what the specifics were of what she was about to ask Naru, but she felt it was the right question to ask the scientist. "Have you tried reversing the polarity of the neutron flow?"

Instantly, Naru shot up in her seat. "W-what?"

"Have you?" Motoko raised an eyebrow.

"W-w-well, n-no. To tell the truth Su-chan, Sakata-kun, and I never thought of trying *that.*" Naru thought out loud. "But won't that just mess up the field detector and overload things like before and maybe take the whole control system with it?"

"Well," Motoko said, with perhaps a hint of smugness in her voice, "I am not the expert, but is it not worth a try?"

Naru nodded slowly, "yes, it is," she whispered, then louder: "Hell yes it is!" Busily, Naru started texting to Su on her phone.

Motoko smiled.

"Oh!" Naru looked up from her phone. "Can you, Kei-kun, Moe-Chan, and Tsuruko-sama come down to the lab tomorrow, we need to take some scans of all three of you since you all were on that Dalek ship and breathing its air and interacting with its environment."

Motoko nodded. "Of course, but can your scans tell us anything? It has been months already."

"That is partly what we are trying to find out," Naru said. "Residual particle readings should still be present after all this time, though."

"We will be there. How does half-past one o'clock sound?"

"Great!" Naru smiled, texting Su and Sakata.

"My, my…" Mutsumi said as she stood up from her seat, stretching as she had just woken up from a quick nap after texting her husband. "Are we ready to discuss more pleasant topics?"

"Hmmhmm!" Naru vocalized happily as she quickly collected the documents in her attache case."

"So… reception menu all set?" Mutsumi giggled.

"Yes," Motoko nodded. "Traditional Kyoto cuisine with some international additions and fusions courtesy of Shinobu-chan."

"Looking forward to that!" Naru commented.

"Everything set with attire?" Mutsumi asked, rubbing her palms together excitedly.

Motoko simply nodded. She and Keitaro and personally approved their wedding kimonos this morning.

"How is the clan going to deal with the media?"

"By katana-point and ki blasts," Motoko replied simply. "Kitsune and her photography team will release pictures we approve of, we will release a pre-prepared statement, and then it's off to MolMol."

"I see this is going to be a traditional Shinto wedding," Naru said offhand as she organized her papers and secured them in her attache case. "I always thought Kei-kun wanted a Western Christian church ceremony."

"Oh yes," Mutsumi chirped, "I remember all those times Su-chan put her mind-reader helmet on him and there was always a darling church ceremony on the campus of Tokyo U. A student wedding!"

Motoko's eye twitched.

"Oh yeah!" Naru laughed, "that was always what he wanted, wasn't it? I remember all those brochures he acquired on the sly about that."

Mutsumi giggled. "Remember all those men fashion magazines, with the white tuxedos?"

Motoko clenched her right fist.

"Oh, I do!" Naru chuckled. "That idiot had so much planned out…" Naru made her final check on her documents and the attache' case. "Motoko-chan, you know you two can always change your plans to a western style cerem-what's wrong?"

Naru found herself face to face with Motoko's glare.

Mutsum dropped her mobile phone, instantly sensing the dropping temperature in the office between her friends.

Motoko spoke coldly, efficiently, and with authority: "You two abdicated any say in this matter *years* ago."

Mutsumi and Naru were stone silent. Finally, Mutsumi raised her hand. "Motoko-chan, we meant no harm."

"Yeah, nothing like that." Naru waved her hands in front of her for emphasis.

Motoko regarded her two friends soberly, but in silence. This was something she did not care to let happen again, especially if Keitaro was around. "Kei-kun is no longer part of you two ladies little 'promise' anymore except as a friend… as I am your friend. But know this, you do not speak for him based on something that happened almost ten years ago that he may have said, or thought, said in a dream, or who knows what else."

Naru and Mutsumi listened, shame evident on their features.

Motoko continued: "Kei-kun is my love, my husband-to-be, I do not care one whit what occurred in the past, I only care about what he says here and now. And I tell you both, we both want you two at our wedding and reception, but if I hear anything like I just heard from you two, I will not hesitate to consult with Keitaro about this and voice my opinion for you two to be disinvited. Once again," Motoko spoke with absolute authority," he is *my* husband and I am *his* wife."

In unison, the two friends lowered their gaze. Mutsumi was the first to raise hers. "We apologize for speaking out of turn, Motoko-sama, we were thoughtless and careless with our words."

Naru nodded. "I am sorry. I really did not mean it to sound like it did."

For a moment silence, then Motoko sighed. "I accept your apologies. But remember you two are our friends, we forgive much, but the only 'promise' that matters now is the one Kei-kun and I will make at our wedding."

The two other women nodded.

Motoko breathed deeply. Part of her wanted to ask them both to leave, to come back tomorrow or the day after that after her anger had cooled, but she remembered how much Keitaro's mood had brightened when he heard that they would be joining them at table for dinner…

'Keitaro has forgiven them, so should you… finally, once and for all,' she thought to herself.

"Very well then," Motoko exhaled slowly as she looked down. "I understand if you two are upset with me at this time and wish to leave, but I would like my friends to join me for some sake on the deck… will you, please? A new beginning?" She bowed to them deeply in turn, once then twice. "You two are our friends. Kei-kun and I do not wish to lose you both due to the childish mistakes of the past. We have been through so much together, let us talk on the deck and move past this..."

Naru and Mutsumi looked at each other, smiled, and nodded that they would like that.

000

The next day Motoko, Keitaro, Moe-Chan, and Tsuruko were driven by a discrete clan escort (only three vehicles) to Su-Narsuegawa's famed laboratory located near the Kyoto City limits, which Keitaro had recently learned had been renamed by his old friend's Shirai and Haitani (who now were employed by said laboratory as corporate head-hunters) as "The Big Yellow Joint" in reference to Su's insistence on giant bananas and also to some American situation comedy that had a devoted, worldwide cult following of which Shirai and Haitani were a part of.

Speaking of them, they had just arrived back in Kyoto from a cross-country trip visiting colleges to specifically put the "hard sell" on recent and soon-to-be graduates of science, engineering, and computer programs to "join the winning team" as they put it. This was an approach that Su and Naru had approved of, and in fact this "winning team" atmosphere was fostered extensively in the culture of the lab and its various related enterprises.

The arrival at the lab's security entrance was uneventful. They exited their vehicles, were checked over, re-checked, and were ushered into an express elevator down into the bowels of the laboratory.

Reaching Main R&D Room Beef Bowl (Su insisted on naming different parts of the massive lab complex after food items that met her approval; Naru simply threw her arms up and went along with it), Kentaro Sakata gave Motoko, Keitaro, and Tsuruko the basic tour of Su and Naru's latest mock-up a dimensional shield generator/detector with the assistance (and literal hand-holding courtesy of Moe-Chan. To Motoko, it looked like a nightmare. An unwieldy mass of conduits, wires, and old bits of various Mecha-Tamas that had been cannibalized and reimagined into something else altogether. The temperature was kept at a constant chill to help prevent the machinery from overheating; so much so that jackets were handed out when they entered the room.

"So…" Keitaro began as he took in the device (or devices) that reminded him of a giant spider from some old monster movie that stubbornly always showed up on late night television, "... is this the dimensional machine?"

"That it is," Kentaro nodded as he ran through calculations and made adjustments on a tablet in his hands. "I know it isn't *that* pretty-"

"-it is absolutely hideous," Motoko stated, then she turned to look back at Kentaro. "No offense, Sakata-san."

"None taken," Kentaro smiled, waving his hand. "The unwieldy nature of the machine's hardware helps us make adjustments on the fly."

"Probably much more cost-effective, too." Tsuruko nodded at the machine with something that could pass as approval.

Moe-Chan, holding Keitaro and Motoko's hands, nodded towards the device. "I will do my best, Kei-kun, to assist in any way I can."

"I know you will, Moe-Chan." Keitaro smiled.

Just then, the door opened, and in walked (and bounded) Naru and Su. "Heyas Motokos, Kay-taros, and Tsu-Lady!" The pair was dressed in their banana yellow radiation suits.

"Good morning to you all," Naru smiled. "Thank you for coming down here. Now, Keitaro… Motoko… Tsuruko… Moe-Chan hold still."

"Hold still?" Keitaro asked incredulously.

"In case-sies your clumsies might make that difficulties," Su grinned. "So just try your besties, okays?"

Naru smirked, nodding to Kentaro. The three of them produced devices that resembled, much to Motoko's annoyance and Tsuruko's amusement, small turtles. A small flash, not unlike the flash from an old-style camera, briefly blinded the trio. When their eyes readjusted, they saw Naru, Su, and Kentaro busily working on their tablets.

"What just happened?" Keitaro asked after a moment.

Su ignored them, continuing to work on her tablet.

Kentaro did the same, humming a happy tune as he grinned as he worked.

"Oh, um, what?" Naru asked, looking up from her tablet.

Tsuruko and Motoko groaned in unison. Moe-Chan smiled.

"Oh!" Naru laughed. "Sorry, you four can go behind the divider. We have the energy readings and dimensional particle residue signatures we need from your time on the Dalek ship." She returned her attention to her tablet, same as her colleagues.

"... okay. Great." Keitaro sighed. Soon he, his fiance, future sister-in-law, and mechanical friend were behind the protective shielding of the divider. Sakata joined them, and started making adjustments to several switches, knobs, and typing on a keyboard.

"Naru-san," Kentaro called. "Reversing the polarity of the neutron flow… now." He right-clicked the button on the computer mouse.

For Keitaro, Motoko, Tsuruko, Moe-Chan and Kentaro it felt like they had just been smacked with a ball of static electricity as a blinding ball of light filled the room and a strong gust of wind whipped them; completely unlike the gale of a ki blast as some kind of odd, dull screeching and whining sound echoed through the chamber. There was no time to shout or even react much for once the event had started it seemed to have passed, and the laboratory where the device was housed now had a new occupant; a blue rectangular shape with a square base.

"Naru! Su! You okay?!" Kentaro shouted over the intercom, sparing almost no time to blink his eyes to readjust them to the light levels in the lab.

"Yays! We're oki-dokies!" Su yelled.

"Just peachy, Kentaro." Naru bit back.

"Hmm," Kentaro glanced at the blue rectangular shape now occupying the room in front of them. He looked at one monitor, then another, then back at the object. "Looks like our meddling with the space-time continuum and the dimensional wall has attracted something's attention; fortunately not Dalek from the readings here."

"No shit, Sherlock." Naru shot back over the communication's link. "Get Security down here… oh no, and the medics, too!" Naru was frantic at the end of the sentence, and those behind the divider looked on as Naru and Su ran over behind the blue object.

Kentaro did as he was told. Tsuruko was about to leave the protected space to join Su and Naru when the playboy scientist threw out his hand to grasp the warrior woman's shoulder. "NO! That thing might be deadly!"

Tsuruko glanced at Kentaro, and could see that he was not just trying to sound smart or strictly follow lab procedure. She relented.

Motoko leaned in closer to Tsuruko as Keitaro started helping Kentaro read off data that was showing up on the screens in front of them. Moe-Chan only watched, for now. Motoko quickly shout whispered to her big sister: "A ki shield *will* do for protection!"

Tsuruko only shook her head in the negative. She was not about to let Motoko make any more rash decisions, not while she could help it.

The medics arrived. Security arrived and took up position, weapons drawn and at the ready. Su motioned the medics around the back of the blue object facing away from them where Naru was kneeling...

000

Naru knelt down next to the figure that was laying on the floor. A medic and the lab's doctor, a Dr. Takahiro Kitase knelt down on the other side of the person, a male, and started opening their packs to begin working.

"Right," Kitase spoke into the communicator embedded in his collar, his staff in the lab's infirmary listening in and preparing for if the patient could be treated on site or if they needed to be transported to the nearest trauma center. "Patient is male, approximately early to mid thirties, black hair… caucasian... appears uninjured." The medic assisted Kitase in checking the vital signs of the individual, who was wearing a black jacket, white shirt, and black trousers.

Su now joined Naru. Seeing that Kitase and his medic were already beginning their work, the MolMolian princess and scientist took a moment to examine this uninvited object that had suddenly appeared in their lab. Besides the flash, the static electricity event, and gale of wind there had only been that odd sound.

"Weirdies," Su mumbled to herself as she looked at the object. It was rectangular, yes, but its base was a complete cube; four sided and it had square windows on all sides. At the top of this thing was written in English: "POLICE PUBLIC CALL BOX." Next to where the man was lying on the floor there was a door (There was a handle and a simple keyhole), and on it a sign bordered in white, and written in English black text, read: "POLICE FREE FOR USE OF PUBLIC-"

Su was about to read more when Kitase spoke up. "He's dead!"

"What? How can he be dead?" Naru spoke up. "He's not bleeding!"

Kitase and his medic dutifully checked the vital signs on the man again. Kitase looked up at Naru. "I'm sorry, Narsuegawa-sensei, but this man is indeed dead. We'll have to contact the police and get a full autopsy from the medical examiner because, as you said, there is no outward reason why he should be dead."

Naru cautiously stepped forward, looking over Kitase shoulder. She had been hoping for some answers to the blue object's sudden appearance, and meeting an interdimensional traveller who was not a Dalek bent on her home planet's destruction appealed to her, Su, and Kentaro immensely. She sighed, what a waste, he looked kind of cute too-

-The "dead" man shot up like a lightning bolt, gasping for air, his arms splayed out in front of him. Kitase and the medic fell back in shocked surprise; stunned into silence. The man's eyes shot open and his eyeballs briefly rolling back in his skull before returning to their right position and focusing just as his arms hit Naru's shoulders-

-Just in time to be met by Naru's fist as she screamed in abject terror and surprise.

The man *slid* across the lab's floor before he bumped into a wall, spun around briefly in reaction to that impact, and came to rest.

Su knelt next to her friend and colleague, embracing her. "It's okays, Naru-chan… Su is here." Su eyed the now living man with suspicion, if he was dangerous and Security was unable to handle him; she kept a deadly MolMolian hunting knife on her radiation suit's belt for such an occasion.

Naru, for her part, was shaking. It had been four years since she had hit someone for any reason whatsoever. While she knew intellectually she had a sound reason for what she did, another part of her awareness berated herself mercilessly for backsliding on all the work her therapist, Dr. Sakaguchi had been doing with her. Slowly, with Su's soothing, and the certain knowledge that the man who had come back from the dead was only briefly stunned, she calmed down.

Motoko, Keitaro, Tsuruko, Moe-Chan and Kentaro were now at Naru's side too. Asking if she was all right, and also casting wary eyes to the blue visitor and the mysterious man who was slowly coming to. All except Motoko, who was looking from the man to the box, and back again.

"..." Motoko blinked.

"What's wrong, Motoko-chan?" Keitaro asked.

Tsuruko raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I am fine, Kei-kun." Motoko replied, looking now at Naru. "Naru-san, you still with us?"

"What the hell are you all doing over here?" Naru asked them, concern evident in her harsh tone. "We told you all to stay behind the divider shield!"

"The readings just resolved themselves," Kentaro deadpanned. "It's completely safe in here. And then Mr. Cool over there did his Lazarus act."

Keitaro sighed. "Does this happen all the time here?"

"Noes!" Su snickered, giving a lopsided grin. "You should see Naru-chan at the lab Christmas Party."

"Oh I did!" Kentaro winked to Su.

"Story time?" Moe-Chan asked, hopefully.

"That's classified!" Naru groaned at the private joke between the three of them, she stood up with Su's help, composing herself. "Look," she nodded towards the man she had just decked in abject fright. "He's coming around."

The man in question had just propped himself up on his elbow, and with his free hand was stroking the sore spot on his jaw where Naru's punch had connected. "Wow, that's a hell of a right-hook you got, ma'am." He chuckled ruefully, "sorry about that suddenly-coming-back-to-life-bit; I'm still getting the hang of it." He blinked, "... this is going to sound strange, but I can almost *feel* that bruise healing up already."

"Well, good!" Naru shouted. "I see… hear you speak Japanese. You know, you frightened the living daylights out of me!" She stalked over past her friends towards the Security ring with weapons drawn around the man. "Who are you, and where did you come from?" Kentaro ran to catch up with Naru, Su close behind.

"I always answer the questions of beautiful women," he nodded once to Naru, and then to Kentaro: "And beautiful men, too… the name is Captain Jack Harkness." He winked at Naru, Su, and then Kentaro.

The three traded looks and completely dumbfounded expressions. For a moment they were completely uncertain of what to ask the strange visitor next.

Tsuruko, Motoko, Moe-Chan and Keitaro waited over by the door of the blue object as Dr. Kitase and his medic went over to assist the newly introduced Captain. This was partly to augment the Security officers already watching the Police Box, but also because the three knew more about what it might be than Naru and Su. Motoko hoped against hope, and also feared what might happen next. Tsuruko, for her part, simply for not the first time since the Daleks first appeared, longed for only having to deal with fighting evil spirits, teaching kendo, and prodding Motoko to do something about "the Keitaro question." Keitaro just shook his head at this new development, while he had a favorable first impression of this Captain Jack based on intangibles, he did find the man's ease of manner off-putting for such a serious event as coming back to life from the dead. Of course, both Tsuruko and Keitaro did not believe that this was the Doctor that Motoko had told them about; he did not match the description either visually or in his personality, but they both knew that something related to the events of last April was occurring right in front of them.

"Are you three going to just stand there staring at some trans-dimensional hitch-hiker who flirts too much or are you going to turn around?" A cranky male with a Scottish accent asked in perfect Japanese.

Motoko, Tsuruko, Moe-Chan and Keitaro spun around, agast expressions on their face. The three had heard nothing, sensed nothing, but right there in front of them stood a male figure, dressed in a deep black suit and coat with matching black vest but with a white dress shirt underneath. The new visitor had silver gray, curling hair, and the most notable characteristic about him was the red satin evident on the inside of his coat.

"I see you forgot your guitar," Motoko stated.

"Oh, I'm glad to see you, too, Aoyama-sama." He said.

"You said 'our time has come to an end' or some such." Motoko raised her voice a touch.

"And what would I say to that?" The man asked, seemingly impatient with the whole exchange already.

"'The Doctor lies'." Motoko sighed.

"The Doctor lies." The Doctor's lips held the hint of a smirk.

Tsuruko bowed to the Doctor, then looked to Motoko. "Is this Him?"

"Yes, it is, Big Sister." Motoko nodded, then turned to Keitaro. "Kei-kun… may I present to you the Doctor?"

The Doctor smiled as he nodded to Keitaro. "An honor, Urashima-san. But don't let that go to your head."

Keitaro smiled. "Don't worry, not many things do." Keitaro indicated Moe-Chan besides him. "My friend Moe-Chan."

The Doctor actually smiled at the automaton girl. "Good to meet you."

"Likewise," Moe-Chan did a small curtsy as best she could.

To Motoko, the Doctor turned now. "Wedding and reception all planned?"

"Yes, down to the last detail." She replied.

The Doctor shook his head. "You finalized the reception menu without *me*? For shame!"

"I would have sent you an invitation, but you did not leave an address." Motoko said with a hint of sarcasm.

The Doctor simply waved his hand dismissively in reply as he strode over to where Captain Jack Harkness lay on the floor enjoying all the varied attention being paid to him.

"Everyone, this man is a compulsive, equal opportunity flirt who loves almost everybody!" The Doctor declared, causing the assembled throng around the Captain to turn to him.

"And what are you doing with that blue box? Where's the Doctor? Was he travelling with a hot young Brit named Rose?" Captain Jack called back.

The Doctor's steps slowed as he focused on Jack, how he was dressed, and finally the questions being asked. He stopped. 'Oh Jack, I'm so sorry…' he thought as he regarded his old friend.

"Okay, I know his face probably changed considering all he went through." Jack remarked as he looked up at the Doctor. "That charming bloke with the big ears and the nice ass is gone; but which direction? Before or after?"

"After." The Doctor answered.

"How many?"

"Enough." The Doctor said softly.

Jack sighed. "Fine. The last thing I remember was dying then coming back to life after some random Dalek shot me. I got myself together as best I could; I could tell all the Daleks were dead and I could *feel* the energy event that had somehow passed through me. I ran to the TARDIS but it dematerialized before I could catch it with you and Rose inside. So I used the Vortex Manipulator-"

"-that piece of rubbish," the Doctor scoffed.

"Well, it got me here!" Jack snapped back. "So, fill in the blanks for me, Doctor."

The Doctor just stared at Jack.

Jack laughed. "Oh great, you can't, can you? I'm from that far back in your past?"

He said nothing.

"Answer me, Doc," Jack prodded. "Don't leave me in suspense."

"Jack, it's honestly better if I do no such thing." The Doctor said in a tone that could almost pass as being gentle.

Jack laid back on the ground, then he balled his fist and smacked the floor in flustration. He sighed. "What the hell… so why am I here?"

The Doctor shrugged, then noted that there were many Security personnel around Jack with weapons drawn. He reached into his coat, "Everyone, I am the Doctor and I represent the United Nations organization assisting your governments with the Dalek threat," he showed an ID badge, making certain everyone saw it," and this man is of no threat, in fact he is a friend and associate of mine. Lower your weapons. Now."

Upon receiving confirmation from Naru and Su, the Security detachment did as the Doctor commanded. The Doctor went to Jack and helped him to his feet.

"You all right?" The Doctor asked.

Jack scoffed. "Me? I only keep runnin' through my nine lives these days."

The Doctor's face took on a thoughtful expression. "Never quite thought of you as a cat before; funny not sure why as it is an apt metaphor."

"So why am I here?"

"Looks like random chance." The Doctor replied. "But it is good to see you again."

Jack smirked. "Yeah, but you got old. I was hoping your next face would be just as cute." Jack looked around as he noticed that Naru, Su, and Kentaro were now joined by Motoko, Tsuruko, Moe-Chan and Keitaro. "So many cute faces around here, though. You said there was a Dalek threat here too? Thought they were finally over with and done for."

The Doctor laughed. "You'll see."

"I do see," Jack spared a moment to give a kind, approving look to Kentaro, Keitaro as well as Motoko, Naru, Su, and Tsuruko. "Right now, so far as I'm concerned I've landed in Paradise City."

The Doctor smiled, telling himself to do it for Jack.

000

TO BE CONTINUED…

AFTERWARD: Yes. I just could not resist bringing Captain Jack Harkness into things. But this is the pre-Torchwood Captain Jack, immediately post Ninth Doctor. I figured with all the issues with regeneration and immortality it would be an interesting contrast. See you next chapter. Cue the Doctor Who theme, because yes this is now a full-on DW/LH crossover. I will keep this in its current place in the archive because, well, that is where readers probably remember to find it who are not following/favoriting it. That said, thank you to everyone who has supported this little story.

Oh, what's that? What's next for me? Well, the second chapter of Kendo Wife and the second chapter of a little story called Reforged, of course.


End file.
